Gratitude in the Workplace

Expressing gratitude in the workplace is more than a few virtual kudos in a Zoom call, a 5-year anniversary recognition, or a sales leader thanking her team for having achieved a sales goal. Truly expressing gratitude in the workplace that is transformational involves many factors, including being personal, appreciating the individual for who he is and not what he does, and being genuine.?

In this article I’ll explore what gratitude in the workplace looks like, some research that supports the efficacy of gratitude, and a case study of how it’s actually working. ??

Why Some Organizations Resist Gratitude

According to assistant professor of management at the University of Washington Ryan Fehr, organizations resist embracing gratitude in the workplace is because “We tend to think of organizations as transactional places where you’re supposed to be ‘professional. We may think that it’s unprofessional to bring things like forgiveness or gratitude or compassion into the workplace.”?

When Gratitude Won’t Work

Although gratitude has many benefits to the business, including making it more profitable, creating more effective leaders and reducing turnover, gratitude consultant Steve Foran, P.Eng, CSP notes that it must be genuine. For gratitude to be truly effective, business leaders must want what's best for their people.

Other reasons gratitude programs don’t work include that it is

• A token nod to employee well-being that can be advertised in corporate brochures
• Seen as weakness
• Yet another thing that employees don’t have time for?

“We tend to think of organizations as transactional places where you’re supposed to be ‘professional. We may think that it’s unprofessional to bring things like forgiveness or gratitude or compassion into the workplace.”? --Ryan Fehr, The University of Washington

The Myth and the Reality

There are many other misconceptions about gratitude in the workplace. Recently, gratitude researcher Amie Gordon at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley countered four of these myths with recent research. These she explains in her 2019 TedEx talk in Christchurch, New Zealand.?

The Benefits of Gratitude in the Workplace

In her article in “How Gratitude Can Transform Your Workplace,” author Kira M. Newman provides four ways that gratitude can work. They are:?

1. Gratitude is about the whole person

2. Gratitude isn’t one-size-fits-all

3. Gratitude must be embraced by leaders

4. Gratitude has to be part of the culture?

Some Research On Gratitude

Several researchers (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015), began looking at how gratitude may reduce stress and depression in the workplace. In their study titled, “Improving mental health in health care practitioners,” 102 health care practitioners were divided into three groups:?

Group 1: Wrote a work-related gratitude journal 2x/week for four consecutive weeks

Group 2: Wrote about work-related hassles 2x/. week for four consecutive weeks

Group 3: No diary?

The researchers collected information about depressive symptoms and perceived stress at baseline, posttreatment, and during a three-month follow-up. Those who wrote a work-related gratitude journal (Group 1) experienced a decline in stress and depressive symptoms when compared to the other two groups. The levels of stress and depressive symptoms reported by Group 2 and Group 3 were nearly identical.?

How To Implement Gratitude Company-Wide

Although there are many different ways to cultivate a culture of gratefulness in the workplace, they essentially distill down to three main research-based factors, according to Professor Fehr. These are:?

1.????? Build a gratitude habit (rituals, practices, etc.)

2.????? Draw from many resources (appreciation programs, interventions, helping others, others helping us, building skills, etc.)

3.????? Guard against negative emotions (envy, excessive pride, and anger)?

Do Gratitude Programs Really Make A Difference At Work?

Charles Schwab & Co. is an example of successfully implementing a company-wide gratitude program. Although Schwab already had an employee recognition program, the company wanted to go beyond that, shifting from milestones and metrics to valuing people. ?

Diana Jason explains in this video.

Gratitude and Career Benefits

In her blogpost for Positive Psychology entitled “Benefits of Gratitude: 28+ Surprising Research Findings,” Courtney E. Ackerman lists many benefits for the workplace that more than 40 years of research has uncovered. These include: ??

Makes more effective managers

According to research conducted by Stone & Stone (Stone & Stone, 1983),practicing gratitude enhances managerial skills thereby enhancing managers’ praise-giving and motivating abilities as mentors and guides to employees.?

Reducing impatience and improving decision-making

It appears there is a connection between practicing gratitude and improving decision making. In 2014, researchers DeSteno, Li, Dickens, and Lerner found that those who are more grateful than others are also less likely to be impatient during economic decision-making, leading to better decisions and less pressure from the desire for short-term gratification.?

Helps find meaning in our work

Those who find meaning and purpose in their work are often more effective and more fulfilled throughout their career. Gratitude is one factor that can help people find meaning in their jobs. (Dik, Duffy, Allan, O’Donnell, Shim, & Steger, 2015).?

Contributes to reduced turnover

Research has found that gratitude and respect in the workplace can help employees feel connected to their organization (Ng, 2016). Such feelings are especially vital when new employees are beginning to navigate through their nascent careers when they are also less likely to be respected by their older or more experienced peers.?

Improve work-related mental health and reduce stress

In the study referenced earlier (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015), practicing gratitude at work can have a significant effect on staff mental health, stress, and turnover. The researchers also concluded that even in stressful jobs, employees who focused on things to be grateful for at work helped protect them from the negative side effects of their jobs.?

Conclusion

I hope this article has encouraged you if you are a part of an organization that values expressing gratitude. And if your organization does not, I hope this article has inspired you to advocate for a gratitude program in your workplace.

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SOURCES:?

Ackerman, Courtney E., MA, “Benefits of Gratitude: 28+ Surprising Research Findings,” April 12 2017 (Updated: October 2023 and accessed November 2023) https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-gratitude-research-questions/?

Chowdhury, Madhuleena Roy, BA “The Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the Brain,” April 9, 2019 (Updated October 2023 and accessed November 2023) https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/?

Miller, Kelly, BA, CAPP, “7 Gratitude Questionnaires and Scales That Scientists Use”, August 22, 2019 (Updated: October 2023 and accessed November 2023) https://positivepsychology.com/measure-gratitude-questionnaires-scales/?

Miller, Kori D., “14 Benefits of Practicing Gratitude (Incl. Journaling)”, June 18, 2019 (Updated: October 2023 and accessed November 2023) https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-gratitude/?

Newman, Kira, Greater Good Magazine, “How Gratitude Can Transform Your Workplace”, Greater Good Magazine, September 6, 2017, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_can_transform_your_workplace, (Accessed: 11/13/23)

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