Can gratitude boost your bottom line?

Thought: “Workers want and need to know their work is appreciated. Showing gratitude to employees is the easiest, fastest, most inexpensive way to boost performance.” - Forbes Magazine.

Tip: We all want to feel like we’re doing a good job.

We work in our industries because we’re good at it and we feel we have something to contribute so we put in our time, our energy, and our creativity in the hopes of creating something of value.

When this effort goes unrewarded or, even worse, unacknowledged it can leave us feeling deflated.

After all, why would we put in so much of our hard-won energy if we don’t even get so much as a ‘good job’?

What’s the incentive to put in more than the bare minimum?

Studies have shown that money is a poor motivator, as effort and engagement levels tend to spike temporarily and then regress back to previous levels when that salary increase or bonus becomes expected rather than appreciated.

What’s more, giving money costs a lot.

Sincere gratitude, however, is 100% free.

By creating an environment where workers feel valued for their contributions, you’re creating automatic engagement.

In fact, a study done by the American Psychological Association found that 93% of workers who felt valued were motivated to do their best work and a whopping 88% of them were considered ‘engaged’.

That’s an astounding figure for something as simple as recognising a job well done.

Here are some things to remember when showing your appreciation in the workplace:

• Begin every meeting with thanks: starting each and every meeting with a word of gratitude, either to a person, team, or just something in general, will ensure the practice becomes normalised throughout the company.?
• Start at the top: ensure all managers from the very top down are on the same page when it comes to showing gratitude to staff. The more coordinated the approach, the more ingrained in culture it becomes.
• Be sincere: people have a knack for knowing when someone is putting on an act. Be sincere in your praise and your people will respond.?
• Know your people: some people want to be applauded in front of the whole team whereas others might respond better to a quiet work of thanks over a cup of coffee. It’s our job as leaders to know which is which.
• In times of crisis, ramp it up: when things get tough, there is more required of yourself and your staff and everyone is under more pressure. This is the perfect time to stop and reflect on what’s going right, rather than what’s going wrong.

Showing gratitude is simple, effective and free so give it a try in your workplace and see how your people respond to a little appreciation.?

Question: How much would you appreciate a genuine word of thanks for a job well done??

News: The benefits of showing gratitude in the workplace: A little bit of thanks goes a very long way.