Thanking your Team: Gratitude Goes a Long Way
Thanking your Team:
Gratitude Goes a Long Way
Imagine this scenario:
You are working on a team and doing a job that you love. You are putting in 110% and doing work you are proud of. You work late because you are excited about the work you are doing and want the company to succeed. The company or organization you work for is seeing excellent results from the work you are doing. You are overcome with pride and fulfillment...but your team? Your boss? No one recognizes your hard work. Your boss gives you another assignment without showing any gratitude for helping grow the company. They don’t even acknowledge the extra hours you put in.
While reading that scenario you were probably thinking, this is not the kind of company you want to work for. Have you ever been on a team or in a job where nothing you do is recognized or appreciated? You are giving the job your all and your boss or team don’t show any gratitude for your work. If we are all completely honest, we want to be appreciated for the work we do.
It starts with you
That being said, ask yourself how often you show gratitude for others in your own life. Think about ways you have shown gratitude towards your boss, teammates, parents, friends, or coworkers.
Gratitude starts with you. If we all take the time to show gratitude to those around us the more likely we are to get it in return.
Showing gratitude all year long
Showing gratitude towards your teammates and to staff boosts morale. If your team feels underappreciated and overworked, it can lead to increased stress, negative attitude, lower productivity, and tension within your team. Rather than waiting till employees or teammates appear outwardly stressed, show them gratitude all year long.
If you see someone doing an awesome job at a task, tell them!
If a teammate helped you on something that they didn’t have to, write them a thank you note.
Is your team going above and beyond on a certain project? Take everyone out for a team lunch or bring in a treat to share with your team.
Ways we show our thanks doesn’t need to be over the top or costly. When it comes to gratitude it truly is the thought behind it that counts. Make an effort to pay attention to the work that the other members of your team are doing. It’s easy to be self focused but taking a moment to look at the efforts of our teammates will help us genuinely appreciate the work they are doing.
How gratitude is proven to make our lives better
At work and on a team, it is important to remember that we aren’t robots or machines. Does that seem obvious? It definitely is but culturally we try to keep things “professional” and sometimes gratitude gets pushed aside because of this. “Evidence suggests that gratitude and appreciation contribute to the kind of workplace environments where employees actually want to come to work and don’t feel like cogs in a machine.” (How Gratitude Can Transform the Workplace)
Put it into action
Go back to the very beginning of this post. When you read that scenario, did that seem like a good place to work? If you are wanting to be a strong leader, show gratitude towards the people you work with. Don’t ignore the work they do. If you are a member on a team, show gratitude towards your boss and to your teammates. You will create a more positive environment, your teammates will feel affirmed by you, and they will even be more likely to show you gratitude in return. Don’t wait for others to create the environment you want to be in and lead by example.