There is a revolution taking place. A revolution focused on finding happiness and wellness. On turning inward for alignment. On practicing mindfulness, appreciation and gratitude.
Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, artists and inventors have used the practice of gratitude to find this connection and happiness. For instance, world renowned motivational speaker, Tony Robbins integrates gratitude practice as an essential pillar of his teachings. Also, author/entrepreneur, Tim Ferris identifies gratitude as one of the key practices of many of the wildly successful people he profiles in his new book Tools of Titans.
As many people practice gratitude and appreciation in their personal life, we should take notice and learn how we can transfer this critical practice in our workplace culture.
The best organizations and the best leaders show appreciation and recognize their talent day to day, minute to minute, at every touch point. Appreciation and gratitude is built in to the company culture and it is reinforced with a formal recognition program.
Employees also respond much more highly to engagement programs when there is an aspect of informal appreciation involved. This shows that appreciation is embedded in the company values and culture, and not just part of a program. The power of a simple thank you can lift people up, boost morale, and increase productivity by further encouraging positive behavior and actions.
Some ways you can show gratitude and appreciation for your employees include:
- Writing in a daily reflection in a gratitude journal (this is a tool outlined in Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris – The Five Minute Journal).
- Sending a personalized Thank You Email to an employee for their hard work/effort.
- Recognizing an exceptional employee in front of their peers at a team meeting.
- Awarding Spot Cards to your employees for on-the-spot exceptional performance.
- Awarding employees with points in their performance portal for completing a challenging project.
- Listening to your employees and removing obstacles that get in the way of them doing their best work.
- Offering flex-time, comp-time, or vacation time as a reward for doing exceptional work.
- Giving your employees personalized learning and development opportunities that they are interested in, to help them further grow their skills and competencies.
To learn more about appreciating your organization, check out GES’ Employee Engagement programs or sign up for a free 15-minute demo to see it in action.