By: Marlene Cosain
The feeling of gratitude becomes almost overrated during the holiday seasons, but why not be express our gratitude all year long? Being grateful doesn’t come with a season; it is a feeling that should be acknowledged every day. How do you think your work/workplace would be impacted if gratitude was expressed each day towards relationships, team-work, productivity, etc. Having your team create a gratitude journal can be a great idea because it will reflect in their work. When they start each day with a positive thought it will transfer to their daily work.
Benefits:
It is a great motivator for behavior
In their article titled, “Creating a Culture of Gratitude in the Workplace-Reprise,” Intentionalworkplace.com states, “In other studies, gratitude played a definite role in increasing positive responses within business settings. For example, one experiment found that customers of a jewelry store who were called and thanked showed an increase of 70% in future purchases. And ever notice that boldly written “Thank You” on the check your server leaves at your table? There’s a reason that idea is catching on. Customers who are thanked leave bigger tips!”
It changes the way you think
Starting each day with a positive thought changes your mindset for the day. Additionally, if this is something you do for more time, it becomes a habit to think with a positive attitude. I would have your staff write three things they are thankful for each morning for 21 days. 21 days has been proven to be the length of time it takes to establish a habit. Clara Josa weighs in, “When you decide to keep a gratitude journal, you are making a commitment to yourself, to turn your Monkey Mind’s thought habits towards conversations that inspire you, instead of grumbling and criticizing. By focusing on gratitude – and making it feel more ‘real’ by writing it down – each day, you are giving clear instructions to your unconscious mind that you want to hear more stories of gratitude and fewer of grouching. Over just a few weeks (researchers estimate just 3!), it will make a significant difference to the general tone of your thoughts.”
Now there are a couple steps in creating a gratitude journal. These steps in
First: Buy each team member a binder. At the office, we put nice paper behind the transparent pocket at the front of the binder. Then, we put a nice sticker on it with that employees initial that way it’s personalized. You can have your staff members design their own paper or do things differently, but the point of this step is to give each member a binder or journal.
Second: Make sure everyone understands that it is an everyday activity. Allot time during the day (preferably the morning) for your team members to write in their journal.
Third: When writing out the pages in the journal, make sure you include enough space for them to write no less than three things.
I hope this is a boost to start a positive environment around the workplace.
