Openly talking about kindness and gratitude can help promote compassion and understanding within your team. Various studies have shown that a receiving a simple “thank you” from a supervisor can give one a strong sense of self-worth and self-efficacy. Not only that, but those who express and receive gratitude may become more trusting and more likely to help one another. When employees feel that they are appreciated and valued, it can help foster creativity, innovation, engagement, and effective collaboration within a working environment.
Displaying Gratitude in the Workplace
Gratitude and appreciation can be displayed in the workplace in many different ways. This toolkit provides a variety of ideas that can be used to incorporate gratitude in meetings, recognize and appreciate your colleagues, and help build a positive work environment.
1. Zoom Backgrounds
Promote kindness by utilizing zoom backgrounds during meetings.
2. Peer recognition
Prior to a zoom meeting, give colleagues the opportunity to show gratitude and peer recognition for one another. Afterwards, collect all of the appreciation shout outs and display them at the beginning of a meeting. This act of kindness and appreciation allows employees to feel recognized and noticed.
- “This shout out is for ___, because ___”
- “I appreciate ___ because ___”
- “Great job to ___, because he/she/their name ___did”
- “Thank you to ___, for___”
- “I am grateful to ___ for___”
3. Select a few questions (as many as you have time for, or ones that seem the most relevant to your team) to discuss during a team meeting.
- How can we say “thank you” more often?
- Who and what do you appreciate and why?
- What opportunity do we have to show appreciation?
- What does “Be Kind, Be Well” mean to you?
- What can we do to show more appreciation as a team?
4. Select a few gratitude songs to start your meeting or even play in your workplace
Tell your team to send song that makes them happy. These songs can be played in the beginning of a meeting or even at a workplace. This will allow a positive atmosphere amongst employees.
- All Will be Well by Gabe Dixon Band
- Happy by Pharrell Williams
- Happy People by Little Big Town
- Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold
- You Are My Best Friend by Queen
5. Select a picture that makes you happy
Tell your team to send a picture of what makes them happy. Then, use the picture they sent you to create a picture collage in the beginning of a meeting to illustrate your team’s happiness and help build a positive work environment.
- A picture that makes you laugh
- Family pictures
- A picture that is memorable to you
- A picture of what is important to you
- Your favorite vacation picture
