Video Transcript: Cultivating a Culture of Gratitude
Hi everyone, Bobbie LaPorte here again with this week’s “Let’s Get Growing” tip…where I help you take charge of your plans and accelerate your initiatives as you head into the end of this year.
Have you heard the saying: what you focus on, expands?
In these challenging times we are living and leading in – what are you focused on? Are you mainly focused on problem-solving?
Many of us are, but focusing mainly on problems also expands the number of problems you’re dealing with. If your attention is constantly geared towards searching for unresolved issues, your mind will become more sensitive and start noticing them everywhere!
The same rule applies to positive behaviors, such as gratitude: if you focus on them, they will multiply as well.
So why Is Gratitude Important in Business?
The practice of expressing gratitude is far more often associated with personal relationships like friendships, partnerships, or family. You rarely hear the words “gratitude” and “business” in the same sentence, which is sad, because gratitude can sometimes play a crucial role in creating a healthy company culture and a productive working environment.
Yet, its role in business is often neglected. Recent research conducted by the John Templeton Foundation revealed that for Americans, the workplace is the least likely place to express gratitude.
Although as many as 93% of the respondents agreed that a grateful boss is more likely to succeed, and almost all of them agreed that a simple “thank you” at work made them feel valued and respected, only 10% were actually prone to express gratefulness!
Additional research shows the following:
- A culture of gratitude plays a crucial role in the workplace: it predicts higher job satisfaction; practicing gratitude at work makes the employees feel more grateful about their job in general.
- Employees who practice gratitude at work have a stronger sense of community.
- Grateful employees tend to focus more on the things they appreciate at work, rather than those that annoy them.
Expressing gratitude doesn’t only affect the internal relationships between colleagues and management. They can also improve the relationship between the business and its customers or strengthen the trust between partners or investors.
So, here’s my tip:
During this Thanksgiving holiday period, take a few minutes to reflect on how you can practice more gratitude at work – starting with letting those you work with know that you value and appreciate them. It’s a keystone step for you – as a leader – to cultivate a culture of gratitude in your workplace.
That’s my “Get Growing” tip for this week. I’ll see you next Monday… remember to see this time as an enabler, not a liability or a time to “pause”, waiting for certainty to return.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
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