- Discover the importance of showing gratitude to your colleagues and teammates.
- Learn how peer recognition can boost engagement and how a positive mindset can benefit both employees and customers.
- Find out how to create a culture of gratitude in your workplace.
It’s no secret that the words “Thank you” matter. It’s something that’s deeply ingrained within us from a very early age. The importance of showing gratitude is something that we learn about in our family settings and it’s then something that we carry on into our adult lives. However, not everyone seems to take this into the workplace.
Showing appreciation to teammates and colleagues is just as important as it is to showing this to those that are our nearest and dearest. Why? Well, that’s something that we’re going to explore now but, in a nutshell, it’s all about developing trust, providing motivation and creating an environment where kindness matters.
A job well done
While everyone has a job to do that doesn’t mean that it’s always carried out to the best of an employee’s ability. There are times when tasks may feel a little mundane and this can lead to a negative mindset with people feeling less than valued. Peer recognition can change all of this.
To hear a thank you from a teammate can have a dramatic effect. That mundane task suddenly becomes worthwhile because it’s been recognised. The impact is that value is attached to the task and this leads to higher levels of engagement.
A boost for the brain
While the person that’s being thanked will experience a positivity boost, there is also an impact on the person who is giving. There has long been a school of thought that suggests being grateful is good for us. In fact, many people swear by ending their day with a reflection on all of the things that they should be grateful for. When this is taken into the workplace, the positivity spreads there too.
Peer appreciation boosts the well-being of all involved. What you’re left with is a team that respects its members who all feel valued and respected.
The knock-on effect for customers
It’s hardly a secret that employees like to be valued. Displays of gratitude mean that they’re happier in their workplace where motivation is in abundance and appreciation is shown on a frequent basis. While this is all good for the team it’s also good for customers.
When employees have a positive, and happy, mindset, this spills over into how they deal with customers. Positivity becomes almost contagious and customers pick up on this too.
How to show gratitude
The simplest way to display gratitude to team members is with the words ‘Thank you”. However, this can be taken further and it’s surprisingly easy to create a culture where employees get on board to celebrate success.
While a thank you can recognise a job well done, it could be that rewards/awards are given in circumstances when an employee goes that extra mile. It could even be that employees are encouraged to recognise successes within the team and to come up with their own ways of recognising this.
Yes, there is effort needed when it comes to a change of culture, but when the end result is increased motivation, engagement and a happier workforce, surely this effort is worthwhile.