Best Practices for Gratitude and Appreciation at Work

We all know how important gratitude is in our personal lives.

“The Grateful Workplace” study by the University of Washington offers great insights into the role of gratitude and appreciation in organizations.

Researchers have identified three levels of gratitude:

While episodic gratitude is best understood, the benefits of sustained, collective gratitude are the most significant. Once formed, collective gratitude acts as part of the social context of the organization and improves employee citizenship, well-being, quality of relationships in teams, and overall organizational resilience.

To make collective gratitude a fundamental part of the employee experience, authors recommend deploying a coherent set of multiple “gratitude initiatives”.

One example of a “gratitude initiative” is “appreciation programs” focused on praising employees and teams for their effort and perseverance:

– These programs show team members that they are valued and not taken for granted

– They also strengthen interpersonal relationships and institutionalize gratitude

 PERSPECTIVES FROM PEER FORWARD-LOOKING LEADERS

Friday, March 4, is National Employee Appreciation Day. We want to help leaders in our community learn from each other and exchange ideas on recognizing their teams. Here is a thoughtful perspective from one of our customers on appreciation and gratitude at work:

TEAMRADERIE OFFERINGS FOR APPRECIATION PROGRAMS

We have curated a list of Teamraderie virtual experiences that will help you bring your team together and practice collective gratitude. A Special Teamraderie Appreciation Package can be added to any Teamraderie experience free of charge for any experience booked by Tuesday, March 1:

1. Custom Card
We print a branded card with your “Thank you” message in each Teamraderie kit.

2. Custom Host Guidance
During your Teamraderie experience, your host will pose a thoughtful question about ‘appreciation’.

3. Custom Team Photo
After the experience, we will share a special photo of you & your team sharing ‘gratitude’.

To book an experience for your team, visit the Teamraderie Experience Finder!