Take the Time to Give Gratitude!
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,
but the parent of all others.
~ Cicero
The Art of the Science Behind qChange series highlights the Science behind qChange, while also describing the Art of applying that Science. For reference, in previous weeks we focused on utilizing Nudge Theory to prompt positive behavior from leaders right before critical meetings. Then we walked through how we use Neuro-Linguistic Programming to talk to leaders in a style that resonates with them. In the last two weeks we spent time on Self Determination Theory (SDT) and our core needs that move us towards growth, and finally the critical need for leaders to be more Self Aware. The last few weeks have been focused on the criticality of gratitude in the workplace. Last week we focused on the giver of gratitude. This week we’ll focus on the receiver.
Receiving gratitude is so important for so many reasons. Read on for a few reasons why.
Performance matters. Gratitude (sincere and thoughtful gratitude) matters for performance.
A simple, yet powerful study from researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania illustrates this. They randomly divided university fund-raisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group — assigned to work on a different day — received a pep talk from the director of annual giving, who told the fund-raisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fund-raising calls than those who did not(1).
Effort matters. Gratitude positively impacts effort.
A study by Glassdoor found that 80% of employees would be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss.
Wellness Matters. Now more than ever.
This great little infographic(2) highlights how gratitude positively impacts happiness, health, sleep, and compassion. Happy, healthy, compassionate, and able to sleep better certainly sounds fantastic to me!!
Great leaders give gratitude – an important feature of our qChange Leader Experience (LX) solution.
To learn more, please see: www.qchange.com
John Howes, Ph.D.
CXMO & Co-Founder
Jhowes@qchange.com
(1) Grant AM, et al. "A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way: Explaining Why Gratitude Expressions Motivate Prosocial Behavior," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (June 2010): Vol. 98, No. 6, pp. 946–55.
(2) https://www.virtuesforlife.com/6-benefits-of-gratitude-how-feeling-grateful-is-good-for-us-infographic/