Gratitude makes you (and your team) More Successful at Work
We try to get out and exercise regularly, we attempt to eat healthy, and we do our best to get to bed at a decent hour. We try all kinds of productivity tricks and mind hacks to get these good habits to stick, yet intentionally incorporating gratitude into our daily lives rarely a priority.
Recent research has backed up what Schwab and Carnegie knew back in the 19th century: gratitude makes employees better at their jobs and makes others more likely to go out of their way to help you (and others) out.
According to a recent article in Harvard Health:
Researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania randomly divided university fundraisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group — assigned to work on a different day — received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who told the fundraisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fundraising calls than those who did not.
Like exercise or healthy eating, gratitude is a habit that can be strengthened over time. As with any habit, the key is to create consistent routines to encourage a grateful mindset every day. Here are simple ways to build gratitude into your day that can take as little as 5 minutes;
Journal for 5 minutes every morning
Gratitude studies have shown that reaping the astounding benefits of feeling grateful doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Set aside just five minutes every morning to reflect on the good things in your life.
Take a 5-minute gratitude break
No matter how positive we try to be, there will always be stressful situations that arise in our workdays. Instead of letting a feeling of overwhelm paralyze you, walk away from your computer and take five minutes to write down the things that you appreciate about your job.
I like to remind myself that I love that my job challenges me, even if that’s stressful sometimes. It helps me keep perspective and tackle the work I’ve been avoiding.
Say thank you to a coworker at the end of every day
Reach out to a co-worker at the end of the day to let them know you genuinely appreciate something they did.
Create time for your team to give “Props”
Better yet, make gratitude a company-wide habit by giving your whole team time to express appreciation.
Write a letter of gratitude once a week
Take half an hour out of your weekend to thank someone in your life in a letter. Expressing gratitude will make you and the other person happier, while strengthening your relationship at the same time.
Do a monthly favor
Don’t just tell your appreciation. Show it. Choose a different friend, family member, colleague, or mentor acquaintance each month and identify one thing you can do to help them out without expecting anything in return.
Instead of relegating gratitude to just one special day out of the year, make a concerted effort to make gratitude a daily habit. Take time to reflect on the things that you appreciate in life and – in dealing with others – “always be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.