Gratitude. How Leaders Get it Wrong, but Here are 5 Free Ways to Get it Right.

Do you want to be a better manager and build a stronger, more engaged team? If so, there's one simple tool that you may be overlooking: gratitude.

While it may seem small, expressing gratitude and appreciation to your team members can significantly impact morale, productivity, and business results.

As a manager, you have a lot on your plate. Between meetings and reports, it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and forget about the bigger picture. But gratitude at work is not just a feel-good exercise or a passing fad. It's a powerful tool to help you achieve your business objectives, improve team morale, and foster a positive work environment.

But wait, you may be thinking, is gratitude really that important? Can't I just focus on the bottom line and let my team members worry about their own morale? The truth is, neglecting gratitude at work can have serious consequences. Employees who feel undervalued and unsupported are more likely to experience burnout, turnover, and disengagement, which can negatively impact the bottom line.

On the other hand, when you show gratitude to your team members, you create a positive work environment that fosters engagement and loyalty. 

So, how can you incorporate gratitude into your management style?  Here is a simple step-by-step guide to doing it.

Start ALL meetings with the statement, “Thank you for (insert thing).”  

But here is the key.  Be specific. Instead of saying, “Great job.” 

Try this. 

Thanks for the “specific thing” and for helping us achieve a "specific result.”

If you are a lawyer, you can say thanks for your diligent work on the brief. Your thorough research and persuasive writing helped us win the case. 

If you are in sales, you can say thank a sales rep for saving that deal because of the relationship you built with the CFO.

If you are the principal, you can thank a teacher for creating detailed lesson plans, which helped increase student scores in 3rd-grade math.

If you are a CFO,   you can thank an analyst for skillfully running scenarios in Excel that helped your company to complete the forecasts on time. 

If you are an engineer, you can say thanks for creating amazing designs for the client that helped you win that contract.

Feel the difference? It is specific and can be done regardless of industry.

Bonus points if you send it in writing AND do it in public. 

If you want to level up. Here is another power move.

Thank two people five times per week. 

The compound effect is crazy.

That’s 10 times per week—40 times per month. 480 times every year

Oh, and keep it real. People can feel the fake stuff.

By incorporating gratitude into your management style, you can create a positive work environment that fosters engagement, loyalty, and productivity. 

Don't miss out on this powerful tool – start practicing gratitude at work today.

PS. What are you grateful for today? 

Wishing you the best,

Dr. Beckford

Reducing employee stress is the key to retaining your best talent and boosting productivity, and it is only attainable through the UR Caring Docs proprietary self-care stress reduction workshops. Interested? Schedule a call here.