13 Simple Ways to Show Gratitude at Work
First of all - when practiced regularly, gratitude is proven to help! We feel thankful a lot more often than we express it. Research clearly indicates expressing gratitude is beneficial to our health and well-being. We’re happier when we’re grateful!
Showing your appreciation at work is an important tool to help strengthen relationships and to create a tribe that wants to help you (and keep helping you) succeed.
Especially during a crisis, taking the time to thank others is vital to decrease loneliness, amp up social connections, and generate generosity.
Here are some ideas how to show your gratitude and appreciation even without – or with very little – money:
Choose prizes (not cash)
Because when we receive cash, we are torn between saving and spending it. Get creative here! Try to figure out their favorite things.Highlight the other person’s strengths
Research shows gratitude strengthens relationships much more when it is conveyed as appreciation for what the other person did, rather than about the way it benefited you. “Kimberly I really love your organizational skills” vs “Kimberly you are helping me to generate more business (because you are really organized)...”Give an employee time off
This isn't exactly free, but it doesn't require a separate budget.Be unique and personalize your appreciation
Make sure how you show appreciation in a way that is authentic to you, and also meaningful and motivating for them. Ask yourself, “How do I think this person would most like to be thanked?” Make them laugh, it'll feel genuine and memorable!Give compliments!
This is definitely free ; ) “Great job on the presentation! You were really eloquent.”Make time for small talk (and meaningful conversations too!)
Your team will notice if you only engage with your employees to provide feedback. Take time to speak with your employees as people. Ask questions about their lives and interests. These small interactions go a long way to establish rapport and build trust. And employees who trust you are more likely to go the extra mile to help when you ask them to.
Build a platform for group sharing of gratitude
If there isn't a forum for sharing appreciation within your group, there should be. You may allow a few minutes in every meeting, a bulletin board or a page on your intranet or newsletter. If you create a culture that expects people to share their gratitude, you'll begin to see the rewards.
Praise in public, give constructive criticism in private
Publicly recognizing your team's work is important. However, there's one basic rule many managers forget. Never discipline or provide negative feedback in a group setting. Any individual criticism should be done privately. However, you may decide to tell the team that you're addressing an issue privately with the employee without going into detail.
Do it in person!
Try not to send out an email to say thank you. Those have a tendency to sound canned and template-y, so instead walk right up to their desk and tell them (or, in these times, ask for a video chat). Be genuine and direct, but most importantly tell them exactly why you're grateful. Be specific and blunt. Tell them what it meant to you to have their help or confidence on your side.Create quality space to show your appreciation
Find a time to thank them where it doesn't look opportunistic or like you're showboating. That way it'll come across as genuine and not like a strategic move.
Think of the 5 Love Languages
While this framework was originally designed for couples, you can modify it for the workplace. One of your colleagues might respond to words of affirmation, for instance (while personal touch we might keep for after the pandemic).
Give thanks as a team
Coordinate your efforts with others and package your praise for greater impact. You can use online tools like a Kudo-board where you create a theme, and collectively build one for a colleague. This binds your team together in a shared positive activity.
Practice, practice, practice & just do it!
And remember, it’s the little things that count most of all…
