Company cultures are living breathing organisms that thrive or fade depending on how they are nurtured. Learning, diversity, and resilience, among others, are popular culture topics at the moment. One facet of company culture that receives less attention is the culture of gratitude.

There isn’t much research on gratitude within organizations or what it might look like in a business setting. However, studies on gratitude, in general, show that it increases life satisfaction and something called ‘prosocial behavior’, or behavior intended to help other people and having a concern for their well-being.

The Harvard Business Review conducted small studies on the impact of gratitude in the workplace, specifically as it relates to poor behavior at work. The pandemic has put a lot of stress on everyone, and when we are stressed, we don’t tend to be our best selves. This can result in treating our coworkers poorly. What they found is that expressing appropriate gratitude can lead to people being kinder to one another, even those not part of the original gratitude transaction.

Appreciation is defined as the “act of acknowledging the goodness in life”, or seeing the positive side of events and people. Gratitude recognizes that the good things we appreciate are often due to outside forces, such as the efforts of other people.

Why thank workers for doing their job?

It seems counterintuitive to thank someone for doing their job. We get paid to perform and we want to exude an air of professionalism. Appreciating our coworkers and teammates doesn’t seem to jive with that part of business culture.

According to Steve Foran, founder of Gratitude at Work, gratitude makes employees more engaged and the company more profitable. That is a great end result, but it can’t be the reason you are being grateful. Employees will see through it and feel used instead of appreciated.

Gratitude isn’t an Employee of the Month program, it’s about appreciating the whole person who has value because they exist, not because of what they do. It’s deeper than the last great report or late-night work session.

Each workplace is unique, so expressions of appreciation and gratitude need to be unique as well. Also, each person wants to be appreciated in a special way. Not everyone wants a public announcement or a trophy. A heartfelt note or private chat can be more effective.

Lead with gratitude

Leadership has to be all in on gratitude if it is going to spread. As a matter of fact, if the leaders aren’t on board, the whole thing will fade into the background. But it also has to be nurtured from the ground up. Everyone needs to feel free to participate fully in practicing gratitude and appreciation for it to become woven into the fabric of the company. A culture of gratitude won’t be accomplished by a webinar or a retreat or a special program. It needs follow up and consistent practice.

One of The Propel’s more popular training modules, Team Advantage, focuses on helping teams recognize the special skills that each person brings to a project. It prompts them to be cognizant of how those skills are applied to move an aspirational project forward. Teams learn to appreciate and celebrate each other and the wins that result. The team members carry this learning through the rest of the organization as they move on to other projects, helping to bolster the culture of gratitude within the organization.

Being valued is basic

If you are a team member and someone helps you with a tough or time-sensitive task, that person has gone above and beyond their job description to help you. That is a perfect time to express your appreciation to them.

Science shows that this small gesture of recognizing and expressing appreciation for the help you have received benefits the person you thank, but it also benefits you. The person who helped you out of a jam feels more socially valued when you express your gratitude and will be more inclined to be helpful to you and to others. You will share that inclination to be more helpful and kind. It creates a feedback loop that can spread through the company as people get used to the idea that expressing gratitude isn’t weak or weird.

Everyone wants to be appreciated and feel they are of value, it’s a basic human need. When a culture of gratitude can be instilled at all levels of a company, employees will be happier, take fewer sick days, be less likely to look for a new job and feel a responsibility to recognize and appreciate one another. Seems like a great place to work!