Showing Gratitude Pays Big Dividends

With the Thanksgiving season in full swing, business leaders can use this time to reflect on what they find themselves grateful for, and as a means of cultivating gratitude amongst those they work alongside. While it may sound like another task on your list of things to do, gratitude can easily be woven into what’s already on your calendar.

Say it and mean it
We often times believe that the people we interact with know how much we appreciate them, and what we appreciate about them, and this is not always the case. The greatest impact is made when they hear the words directly from you, which creates stronger bonds between you and others. Don’t miss an opportunity to express gratitude for someone by saying it directly and sincerely to them.

Respect others’ time
No one is short on meetings in their day. One way you can easily show respect and appreciation for people at work is to ensure that the meetings you hold start on time, end on time, have clear direction and only contain the people that truly need to be there. It’s also recommended that you communicate these intents before, during and after the meeting so that your team is aware of how you’re intentionally respecting their time.

Serve together
Sometimes it’s not about work at all, and as a reminder for all that you have accomplished in your careers and all that you have, teams can serve together to benefit those in the community. Not only does this help each person who participates to be more grateful individually, it also creates a stronger bond between those involved that will pay cultural dividends in the workplace through strengthened relationships, employee retention and a sense of purpose beyond the work being done in the office.

Enjoy this season of thanks, and take the first step today to show others how grateful you are for them.