In today’s fast-paced work environment, where the tasks feel like they keep on stacking up, but the time withers away, it’s important to find a moment (or two) of gratitude for your team who is going through the hustle and bustle with you.
It’s easy to overlook the simple, yet powerful act of showing appreciation. But with consistent and regular expression, it can significantly boost morale, increase productivity, and foster a positive work environment.
- Gratitude channel: One of my favorite ways of showing appreciation is through our ‘gratitude channel’. This is a free, easy-to-implement solution that can be utilized via Slack where it's a public channel where anyone can give shoutouts to anyone. In my day to day, when I’m reviewing a project I really like to slow down and express any positive notes that come to mind. If I’m really wowed then I use that trigger of emotion to remember to write something. Pro tip: If you’re bad at remembering to give positive words of affirmation, schedule it into your calendar! Mine is a weekly reminder for 9 AM on Fridays.
- Making time to sync and check in: This simple yet generous act reminds us that we’re all first humans before we are colleagues. Take the first few minutes of every meeting to just sync with someone, break the ice, and check in to see how they’re doing. Read their body language and lean into it to create a more authentic dialogue.
- Celebrate special moments: Whether it’s using team building, gifts, promotions, etc, don’t wait for major milestones to celebrate. Acknowledge that the small wins lead to big wins and that progress is something to celebrate regularly.
- Be there for them personally: Showing interest in someone’s well-being is very impactful when it comes to genuineness in leadership. For both positive news and negative news, making space for this creates a sense of belonging and appreciation beyond their professional roles. This is also a great time to offer flexibility with work hours.
- Be vulnerable: While showing strength as a leader is a wonderful trait, so is being vulnerable. Vulnerability creates a foundation of trust and empathy within teams. When dealing with challenging situations, sharing stories of mistakes or learnings humanizes the process and encourages your team to do the same.
- Providing room for difficult conversations: An open and honest dialogue and established ground rules for tough talks can help members feel safe to express their concerns and propose solutions without fear or judgment. I often tell my team that people dynamics are really difficult to manage, but when we rise above superficial relationships and find ourselves in difficult moments with one another there is an opportunity to deepen the bonds we have together. We challenge each other, and ourselves, and then collectively strengthen the overall team dynamic, leading to a more resilient and engaged workforce. I’ve always found that going through this makes the team feel appreciative to be given the room for a safe space.
In conclusion, showing appreciation doesn’t require grand gestures, but small consistent acts. Incorporating these practices into your daily routine will ultimately benefit everyone, including the giver.
That’s all for this Culture Corner! 👋 I’ll be back later this month with more ways to practice gratitude.
How do you show appreciation and gratitude to your team? Reply here – let’s keep the convo going!
P.S. Our next hello&demo is on Tuesday, August 13th at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT. Enjoy a demo of Confetti’s Hispanic & Latin American History & Culture Mini Games, plus a Q&A with one of our lovely account managers. You may even win some Confetti Credits that you can put towards your next event. Don’t wait - register today!
