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Recently, I was involved with
an organization doing some
volunteer work with my Great
Dane therapy dog, Beretta.
You may know that Beretta
and I present employee
training workshops on conflict
resolution and building positive
employee engagement. We also
volunteer at local health care
organizations on a weekly basis.
It is our mission to provide
emotional support to the
residents. However, with one
organization, the administrative
staffhaswalkedpast Berettaand
me in the hallways on several
occasions, never acknowledging
our presence and never uttering
a word of greeting or a word of
appreciation. In other words,
no thank you’ s offered.
It got me thinking about the
types of organizations with
which I contract. My work is
primarily in building business
plans and providing employee
development for small to
medium sized companies. I rely
heavily on creating a strong,
positive
employee
culture
in which respect, trust, and
gratitude are core values. So
now, I ask myself, “Why should
I be involved with a company
where the administrators don’t
show gratitude or respect for
what I do?” Especially when I am
volunteering my time.
Showing gratitude is important
in the workplace. Smart leaders
know this. By taking time to
acknowledge employee effort,
a workplace culture can be
transformed. When gratitude
is practiced in the workplace,
positive
relationships
are
nurtured,
complaining
is
minimized,
and
employee
satisfaction levels skyrocket.
Showing gratitude is a form
of showing respect. In the
workplace, no one person
can implement all aspects of
a project. It takes help from
others. It takes teamwork.
When leaders take time to
acknowledge
the
quality
performance of others, to thank
people for their efforts, to
show gratitude for those going
the extra mile—employees
are more willing to try harder,
and produce better results.
The whole workplace mood is
uplifted.
Why Gratitude in the
WorkplaceMatters
By Ann N. Gatty, Ph.D.
SOAR TO SUCCESS
/
J
anuary
2017
/
Business Acceleration Strategies