The holiday season is a time to reflect, and a time to stop and think about all that we have to be grateful for. For many individuals, thankfulness is directed toward friends, family and all the cool gifts showered on us – that new smartphone, the latest fitness gadget or the kitchen appliance we’ve lived far too long without. Not many individuals, however, are sitting down at the table and sharing how grateful they are for their employees or colleagues.
A study by OfficeTeam revealed that more than half of workers would likely leave their position if they didn’t feel appreciated by their manager. This number increased for those 35 and younger. This seems surprising in many ways since so much of our time and energy are invested in our job — so why is it that we have such a hard time expressing gratitude in our day-to-day interactions? Often, we move so fast that we don’t stop to acknowledge one another and share our appreciation with others.
Here are some ways you can encourage your team to show a little more appreciation this holiday season and beyond:
Gratitude On The Spot: In an upcoming meeting, set aside some time for the group to focus on gratitude. Have each person on your team or in a project group sit in the “hot seat” for two minutes. Have them first share what they feel they bring to the team and then have their colleagues say out loud what they appreciate about the person in the hot seat. Have a timekeeper to make sure you stay on track so everyone else can focus on the task at hand and so that there is plenty of time for all to participate.
Benefits: Appreciating team members publicly is vital. By taking the time to do this, you are signaling to the larger group or organization that you value appreciating others. You are also exposing the value of each individual to all team members, which is essential in groups that may not work closely with everyone in the group.
Gratitude Notes: Supply notecards for team members to write notes to one another expressing appreciation. Make each note very specific as to why they are appreciated along with why their contribution is significant to the team and/or organization. Instead of saying, “Thank you for all you do,” try pinpointing what they did that positively impacted you. For example, “I appreciate how you handled my accounts while I was away on vacation. They were well-cared-for and this allowed me to relax during my time away.” Encourage employees to focus on how colleagues make their lives easier and/or more enjoyable. Make this a monthly activity throughout the year.
Benefits: Physical notes seem to be a lost art. This exercise allows people to reflect and give something physical that can be kept by others.
Gratitude 365: Expressing appreciation shouldn’t only happen in the months of November and December. Make it a daily practice within the organization by making it a part of every meeting — be it one-on-one meetings, smaller work gatherings or larger office meetings. Start each of these by first expressing your appreciation. Itcould be as simple as a thank you for showing up, or a shout out to an employee going above and beyond. Keep it casual and spontaneous so it becomes part of the conversational fabric within the team and company.
Benefits: Making something a habit can be hard, but the payoff will be well worth it. Before you know it, this practice will become second nature and replicate throughout the organization.
Gratitude is an essential form of feedback and recognition as it lets individuals know exactly what it is that they’re doing that is creating positive results in their work and relationships. Unfortunately, many either underestimate its power or assume that others know what they’re doing right. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As a society, as a company, as a team, and as a healthy culture living in complicated and delicate ecosystems, individuals require feedback of all kinds to ensure success and avoid burnout. Gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways in which to do this. And guess what? It’s available year round.
Halley Bock is the CEO of Seattle-based Fierce, Inc., a leadership and development training company that drives results for businesses by developing conversation as a skill.
Written for TrainingIndustry.com
No comments:
Post a Comment