If people only knew how much gratitude could help and benefit them, they would do more, said one person interviewed. The scientific evidence and anecdotal are overwhelming for practicing gratitude, and the stronger the gratitude muscle, the more the benefit.
For faithful gratitude believers, practice is how to live gratefully in every moment. I notice the difference when I skip two daily gratitude practices, as do people who know me well. I’m crankier and more likely to complain rather than appreciate and act.
Here are some results from the gratitude survey and interviews I’ve done. I hope it can inspire you or spark an idea for your gratitude practice.
How much time do you spend on gratitude practices in a typical day?
100% agreed that gratitude belonged in business and had many impacts. They called out the three most significant impacts are more risk-taking, better decision-making, and more innovation.
They average 76% in a typical day feeling grateful.
They have 26.7 years average in business and all in the USA.
Here’s how they practice gratitude:
- Vocalizing (Appreciating Others via social media, Email)
- Write letters of thanks
- Praying
- Journaling
- Mediation
- Movement (Walk in Nature, Yoga, Exercise)
- Doing kind acts
- Volunteering
- Enjoying Time with Friends/Family
- Reflecting
- Pausing
- Reading (Poetry, Scriptures, Spiritual)
People work harder, trust more, stay in a job longer, are less stressed, more productive, take more risks, are more collaborative, and have better morale. You can read in their own words what people said about the impact of gratitude at work below.
- I feel more connected with my supervisor and peers when we express gratitude to one another.
- Having a manager that appreciates me has been refreshing and pushes me to do a better job and work.
- Appreciation for one another spans the distance created by working on Zoom.
- I work harder, have a better work attitude, have less overall stress, and have a more uplifting outlook.
- It helps me to excel and have the confidence to volunteer for new unknown projects and to share my ideas b/c I know they will be considered and will not be swept under the rug or stolen.
- The only reason I have ever left a job was that I did not like my manager. It was never because of the hours, the work, my co-workers, the benefits, or the pay.
- Companies would retain more employees if they created a more supportive work environment, starting with the managers. Many companies have great workers, but few seem to have excellent managers.
- I went to a job site and thanked the equipment operator, saying he had never been told “thank you” by anyone in the company.
- When leaders encouraged peer recognition, it generated a more collaborative culture, less envy and competition, and significantly improved morale.
- Seeing team members thank other team members regularly sets a good tone for meetings; they are less confrontational, less sarcastic, and more positive.
- When my boss expresses gratitude for a recently finished project, it helps me want to do more for her in the future.
- IT can have a reputation for being too technical for many of our employees. As a project manager and team leader, I made our employees comfortable while we moved to work from home during the pandemic. We all had to learn new ways to access information, meet virtually, and connect with others. Improving communication, lessening tension and anxiety, and sharing the vision and direction meant using skills like active listening, taking time to thoroughly answer questions, walking them through the steps, and picking up the calls made that possible. You can see their relief, gratitude, and words of thanks by spending time with people struggling to adjust to change.
Thank you to those who have completed the survey. I randomly selected three Starbucks coffee card winners, Dave, Tara, and Cindi, who were all emailed a gift card. The gratitude survey is open if you haven’t taken it or want to share. (Grateful Leaders Survey (surveymonkey.com)
Grateful leaders change workplaces for the better in many ways. Gratitude transforms and heals. To experience the benefits, we must be regular practitioners of gratitude.
What’s your gratitude workout?
