Expressing appreciation by being grateful

Practising gratitude means appreciating the good things that other people bring to our everyday lives. Gratitude has a positive impact on wellbeing – it can reduce stress, enhance physical and mental health, improve sleep and increase vitality (Wood et al., 2010).

Grateful people also tend to be more empathic, optimistic and emotionally resilient and are better able to meet personal and professional goals. It is therefore important to build gratitude into our daily life to improve our own wellbeing and that of people around us. Gratitude is also beneficial at the collective level; organisational cultures that are built on a foundation of gratitude are not only more satisfying to work in, but more efficient and creative (Fehr et al., 2017; Waters, 2012).

It is crucial for leaders to express their appreciation for the contributions made by practitioners in order to make them feel valued. A culture of gratitude will strengthen relationships between individuals and enhance trust and respect.

It is important to adapt your style of recognition, however, as some people may find a public display of gratitude embarrassing and prefer to be acknowledged privately. Expressions of gratitude from colleagues are especially effective, so consider introducing recognition programmes that allow people to appreciate peers.

There is evidence that keeping a gratitude journal (where people write down the positive things in their lives) or focusing on things for which they are grateful before going to sleep, can have wide-ranging benefits. Some templates, ideas and apps for keeping a gratitude journal can be found here. Learning about practitioners as individuals (for example, through an open-door policy and walking the floor) can help build a gratitude-rich culture.

Here are some ideas that can encourage a culture of gratitude to develop. It is important to recognise that what is rewarding for one team may not necessarily be so for another, so teams should be encouraged to set up their own ‘menu’ of ways to express their gratitude and celebrate achievements. Remember that ideas that are ‘imposed’ from above can seem inauthentic or patronising.

• A simple ‘thank you’ from a line manager can boost feelings of self-worth and self-efficacy in practitioners. A hand-written note of thanks or a card can demonstrate genuine regard and make a big difference. Always make sure you are clear what you are saying thank you for.

• A box of chocolates (or even a home-made trophy) for somebody who needs cheering up or who has done something well can be effective.

• One option is to use a Jar of Joys (as suggested by Catherine Watkins for Community Care) where team members write down their small successes on slips of paper and put them into a jar. Eventually the good work that people do will fill up the jar. People working remotely can use a ‘virtual’ jar of joys and take it in turns to read success stories out during team meetings.

• Celebrate birthdays but recognise that this may cause discomfort for some people. For example, buying cakes for the whole team can be expensive and excluding.

• End the week with a team gathering or celebration (or a Fika session – see KFP1 Secure Base). Make sure these events are inclusive, so avoid visits to the pub or ‘get togethers’ at the end of the day that may exclude people with caring responsibilities, or those who may not feel comfortable in such environments.