Edition: February 4th, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
- Excerpts from article by Jamie Broderick, published on Entrepreneur.com
Gratitude and appreciation contribute to the kind of workplace environments where we feel nurtured — not like cogs in a machine.
Gratitude should be as common in the workplace as elsewhere in the world. And it all starts with a simple, meaningful and timely “Thank You”. The benefits of practising gratitude in our professional lives are many, including improved interpersonal relations, greater team engagement, and a higher level of performance.
The Power of Gratitude as a Professional Skill
What gives gratitude such immense and transformative power in business or in one’s profession? It boils down to two things:
1. Business is about relationships.
- At the heart of every business is heart.
- Especially for entrepreneurs who are so personally invested in their business as a way of making an impact in the world.
- The outdated mentality of business as cold, cutthroat and devoid of any personal interaction is being replaced with the understanding that business is personal.
- As our modern business model shifts from transactional to relational, gratitude and appreciation emerge as much needed skills.
2. Relationships flourish when people feel heard and valued.
- People stick around when they feel seen and when they know they are cared for and valued.
- This holds true in life and in work.
- If you want to establish an ongoing relationship, give them the knowledge that they matter to you.
The Building Blocks: Attention and Creativity
- Small gesture on your part help enhance a friendship of mutual respect and support that you will continue to enjoy.
- The key to practising gratitude in life and business is to pay attention to the person you appreciate so you can understand what they want or need, and then find a creative way to make it happen.
Ready to supercharge your professional journey with the power of gratitude? Here are six tips to practise gratitude as a business skill:
1. Be personal
Send a handwritten thank-you note or a gift that is specific to the person. Personal creative gestures and heartfelt gratitude go a long way in building the kind of business relationships that last.
2. Be clear
Who do you want to thank? How will you thank them and when will you thank them? For recurring situations like when someone interviews you on their podcast, you can have your expression of appreciation planned out in advance.
3. Be generous
You can thank speakers who speak to your organisation or those who go above and beyond. The more gratitude you express, the richer your relationships will be.
4. Be consistent
Have a policy and process in place to thank people throughout the year. Make thoughtful and creative gestures of appreciation part of your strategy to nurture your relationships. You can also make the process easy on yourself by being prepared. Have gifts and mailing supplies ready to go so you aren’t scrambling every time you want to send a note or gift.
5. Be public
Recognise the contributions, efforts and victories of others online by highlighting them in social media posts, blog posts, articles or emails to your subscribers.
6. Be strategic
It’s completely possible to be heartfelt and strategic at the same time. Pick a gift that is both strategic and a genuine expression of gratitude that nurtures your ongoing relationships.
If you’re looking for one simple thing you can do today to create real and lasting impact in your business, simply thank someone.
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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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