Top 7 ways to show gratitude in the workplace
Managers often have this ritual to appreciate their team once a year but jobs well done is not something that happens occasionally, It happens multiple times in a year.
According to a press release published by American Psychological Association in 2012, it was found that “Almost all employees (93 percent) who reported feeling valued said that they are motivated to do their best at work.”
As a manager, it’s your responsibility to make your employees feel rewarded and appreciated because it will not only enhance individual performance but also overall company performance.
This article will enlighten you with the ways to show gratitude in the workplace and appreciate your employees.
7 Ways to show gratitude in a workplace
If you are a manager and looking for ways to show your employees that you appreciate them, you have come to the right place. To foster a good working culture and take your business on the road to success, you need to show them that their efforts are being acknowledged and appreciated.
Following are some of the ways to show gratitude in the workplace-
1. Don’t wait for review meetings, celebrate accomplishments right away
Instead of waiting for review meeting to acknowledge accomplishments, you must acknowledge them right away. Because it creates positive reinforcement instantly. If you wait longer to acknowledge the effort of your team, you create an illusion that you don’t care about their achievements and they feel undervalued.
The timely appreciation shows that you are paying attention and truly value their contributions. You can acknowledge your employee’s achievements by sending a quick team e-mail, shoutout during a meeting, and send a personal message to make a significant impact.
Also read: How to Engage Employees Through Recognition
2. Avoid minute mistakes
If an employee has made some minor mistake which can be ignored, you must not shed light to it. View those mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures demonstrates that you trust them and appreciate your team’s overall contributions. When employees see they won’t be criticised for making small errors, they tend to take initiative.
Occasional slip-ups are bound to happen when employees try to achieve something. Taking the approach to see those small mess-ups as ways to learning, you communicate that you value their efforts, skills and dedication. Employees feel secure and appreciated when you do this.
3. Surprise them with gifts
Unexpected tokens of appreciation create moments of delight that employees remember long after receiving them. These surprises don’t need to be expensive a coffee gift card, desk plant, company-branded quality items, or even a book related to their interests can make someone’s day.
Consider personalizing gifts based on individual preferences and interests to show you know them as people, not just employees. These thoughtful surprises create positive emotional connections to the workplace and demonstrate genuine appreciation beyond formal recognition programs and expected bonuses.
Also read: 5 Impactful Tips on Team Appreciation
4. Send thank-you note
In our digital world, we don’t appreciate handwritten notes enough. Thank you notes written by hand can seem meaningful and personal. As a manager, take time to write something thoughtful and hand it to your employees as a token of appreciation.
Even a brief and sincere note can make your employees valued and appreciated. Just make sure you are being specific rather than generic. If these notes sound genuine it will show that you have spent time to appreciate them. This simple practice creates tangible reminders of appreciation that many employees treasure and even display at their workstations.
5. Celebrate the important occasions
As a manager, you must celebrate professional as well as personal occasions in the lives of your employees such as work anniversaries, graduation, anniversary, and birthdays. Celebrating such events can help you build a community and show you that you recognize their personal lives and promote a sense of belonging among them.
This could range from a signed card, a decorated workspace, a small gift, or a brief team celebration with treats. Create a shared calendar to track these important dates so none are missed.
6. Go on team lunches
Taking your team out for lunch creates valuable opportunities for connection and appreciation outside the normal work environment. These gatherings allow for more relaxed conversations, relationship building, and the chance to thank people in a social setting. Consider scheduling lunches to celebrate team achievements and project completions, or simply to express gratitude for everyone’s ongoing efforts.
During these meals, make a point to acknowledge specific contributions or strengths you’ve noticed from different team members. The shared experience of having lunches together creates bonds that strengthen workplace relationships and team cohesion. Plus, the gesture of providing a meal is a universal way of showing care and appreciation across cultures.
7. Start every meeting with appreciation
Try to begin all of your meetings highlighting the achievements and expressing how much grateful you are to have them in your team. Always start your meetings with a positive tone and ensure it happens regularly reinforcing that you are acknowledging their efforts and contributions.
This practice ensures appreciation becomes an inevitable part in your team’s routine rather than an occasional afterthought. It also helps everyone to know where the good work is happening in the team.
Also read: How to Recognize and Develop High-Potential Employees (HIPO) for Your Organization
Importance of showing gratitude in a workplace
When you show gratitude in the workplace, it helps you promote a positive environment, boosts employee engagement, and improve organizational performance. It strengthens relationships, reduces stress, and encourages a more positive and productive work culture.
- Improved workplace relationships
- Positive impact on the organization’s culture
- Enhance employee engagement and retention
- Reduced stress and improved well-being
- Increased performance and productivity
To put it all together, it is really important to show your employees that you are grateful for their contribution in your organization. As it holds several advantages to the organizations such as enhancing employee engagement, reduce workplace stress, and improved workplace relationships. When employees feel valued, appreciated, they tend to indulge in work more diligently and work towards the goals to their fullest potential.
ProofHub is one such tool that can help managers appreciate employees instantly by giving them instant recognition. Along with it, you can manage all your projects in one place and collaborate with your colleagues to get updates in real-time.
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