This Thanksgiving, millions of Americans will gather with family and friends and drink a lot of wine, eat a lot of food and watch a lot of football. However, between the food, fun and indigestion, it is important to remember that the real reason we gather and break bread is to give thanks for all that we have. This can be a bit difficult to remember for many of us, as by nature, we are creatures of want—agonizing over what we don’t have or can’t get. That’s why a healthy dose of gratitude each day can really go a long way towards instilling a culture of appreciation that will have lasting impacts on your business and your employees. In the spirit of this food-fueled holiday, we are serving up a few simple reasons why giving thanks fosters a more positive work environment and keeps your team successful all year round.
Gratitude Starts with Appreciation
As mentioned before, remaining in a place of gratitude goes against our basic nature. However, by focusing on what you do have instead of what you don’t, you will realize that you have important assets at your disposal that not everyone may have. Be thankful for that crazy lady who works in marketing to help make a dent in your business’s reach or that one friend that landed you a huge business deal by chance. Gratitude and appreciation are not interchangeable. The first is the feeling of being thankful for someone or something. The latter is remembering the good qualities that someone or something possesses which leads you to feel thankful. That’s why it all begins with appreciation. Remind yourself that you have the skill and resources to do the work that you love to do and be thankful. Whatever your role, take pride in your job and appreciate the work that you do each day. Doing so is contagious and will motivate everyone else to step up his or her game.
Embrace Your Interdependence
Once a year, we all celebrate our independence with flags, fireworks and hot dogs, but this thanksgiving, how about celebrating our interdependence? No leader does it all by himself. We all have a team of hard-working, talented employees who keep things moving and shaking and for that, we should be incredibly thankful. We depend on so many things each day—our health, our family, our friends and colleagues, our skills and talents, jobs, opportunities; and none of it materializes alone. That’s why realizing that you are all in it together, working and growing for the common good, will make your employees connect on a much deeper level and make the team that much stronger. Embracing your interdependence will boost company morale and productivity simply by appreciating everyone’s role, big or small.
Remember the Cycle of Success
No one gives a damn about a crappy job where they don’t feel valued or cared about. That’s why instilling a culture of gratitude toward the people who carry your operations each day is the key to making them feel valued. When employees feel valued, stress levels drop and work becomes more enjoyable. When work is more enjoyable, people feel better and take pride in their jobs. When they take pride in their jobs, they become more productive. When they become more productive, they become more successful. When they become more successful, work becomes more enjoyable and the cycle starts again. Sure, productivity and success are important to any business, but the most important aspect of any business is the people behind it. They are the ones who shape your business’s future and they’re only as good as they feel. From better health to better relationships to better work, investing in your people is more than a new age feel-good fad. It’s good business and can be the key to experiencing positive changes and future success.
