Gratitude and Employee Morale

It's long been known that most employees place appreciation above money. Often  low employee morale can be caused by the kinds of disappointments companies can't help but deliver. Whether it's missing production goals, losing a client, or needing to make cutbacks, company setbacks are also personal setbacks for your employees. They feel pride in their contribution to your success, and want you and your company to do well; they want to take pride in their workplace. It can be hard to find optimism in the face of a bad quarter. But there are ways to help your employees (and yourself) feel more hopeful, and positive, and it has a lot to do with cultivating an attitude of gratitude, from the top down.

 

Gratitude is simplest way to feel abundance and fulfillment. Think of all the old sayings like, "count your blessings," or "stop and smell the roses;"  the point is the same. We're happier with what we have when we're thankful for it. Noticing the good in life makes it mean more.

I've always liked that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas. Thanksgiving is a time to look over the year and all that's occurred and give thanks for the good, be it health, success, or our families and friends, we all have so much to be glad for, no matter what's gone wrong. Giving thanks for the good comes first, and after that we give and receive those lovely gifts to celebrate end of a year of each others' love and friendship. Whether you're religious or not, there's so much value in thankfulness and giving.

 Our ancestors who competed to fill basic needs probably survived because they had that instinct to grab what they wanted, regardless of what anyone else got. But we're a little more nuanced than that. We can actually thrive without having every wish fulfilled.We have to be taught to be happy with what we have. It's a skill, just like learning how to open a bottle. When you know how to stop and give thanks for what you have, you'll find you're happier with your life, and your career.

You can grow your sense of abundance, and theirs, by discussing your company's year with your coworkers to highlight the good. Talk about the good things that have happened. Ask them, what are they happy for? Think of the humble things: a pleasant work environment, the good people on your team, their shared experiences as coworkers and employees. Tell them the humble things you're grateful for. This way you're making the sharing of thankfulness a regular part of company life, building a sense of shared responsibility and respect. You will begin to look at your day for examples of things to be grateful for, and so will they. 

You don't need a lot to feel you have a great career ahead of you: you just need hope. To appreciate what you have, including the possibilities. That optimism cuts down on stress, and builds morale. When you instill that  sense of being in this together, you open up opportunities that can never be found when everyone's afraid, and scrambling just to protect themselves from risk. Those who learn to turn their company, their department, their team, into a great place to work and grow will be able to draw strength from it throughout the new year.