By Dave Taylor
Director, LDR Leadership
Demonstrating gratitude is a powerful way to recognize someone’s value and to show genuine appreciation. We learn it as a child, and we teach our kids to express the same gratitude when someone does something for them. This same approach taken in the workplace is important for business success. Too often gratitude is not expressed because he or she is “doing their job”.
1. Research and surveys highlight that employees rank “recognition for their work” as one of the top values they desire in a workplace environment. In a 2019 Deloitte survey of 16,000 professionals, 85% valued hearing a “thank you” in day-to-day interactions.
2. Grateful leaders motivate their employees to be more productive. A recent study demonstrated employees who were “thanked” by their managers had a 50% increase in measured performance.
3. Gratitude is contagious and builds a stronger and healthier culture. When leaders show appreciation, there is likely to be a ripple effect across the organization. Showing gratitude to someone is likely to inspire that person to thank others.
4. It increases job satisfaction. When people feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be happy with their jobs.
On top of the above-listed items, studies have linked gratitude to better physical health!
It cost nothing to say, “thank you” and research shows the return is high. As leaders, we need to ensure our gratitude is genuine and authentic. Find and create unique ways to show your appreciation for the hard work your team is putting in each day. You and they will be better for it!
True North: To really step up the “thank you”, a handwritten note goes a long way by showing additional effort put in by the leader to express gratitude.