3 Practical Ways to Cultivate Gratitude With Your Team

Gratitude. We hear about it all the time! And in a world that tends to be a little ‘doom and gloom’ these days, it’s amazing that people across the globe are catching on to the POWER that lies within a life of thankfulness. And did you know that this is actually backed by psychology? 

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out what Harvard Medical School has to say:

“In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

Pretty amazing, right? But while trendy “thankful” journals and mindfulness meditation apps are in abundant supply, things can feel tricky when it comes to cultivating gratitude with your team - especially in a corporate setting.

Will it get too sappy?

How do we provide structure?

Will people open up?

How do we maintain professionalism? 

These - along with the other 5,000 questions that might be running through your head - are reasonable concerns! But here’s the truth: providing meaningful moments of connection between your team will improve company culture.

And we all know what good company culture leads to! Retention. Employee satisfaction. Productivity. Creativity. Increased revenue.

Connecting as a team through the expression of gratitude has been a part of the Elevate DNA for as long as we can remember. And over the years, we’ve developed unique yet meaningful ways to do it! So next time you’re sitting around the conference table, in a zoom meeting, or at a team gathering - try one (or all) of these 3 practical ways to practice gratitude with your team. 

Dedicate Purposeful Time at Team Meetings. It’s no secret that oftentimes, team meetings are the only time your entire team is together in one place - even if it’s through a screen. Team meetings are the perfect time/place to practice gratitude with your team! But to avoid any “cringey” moments like awkward silence or even worse- someone talking for what seems like forever - try letting each person share their ONE WORD POSITIVE FOCUS for the week. This simple practice invites team members to shift to a positive mindset, while also opening up to their colleagues. Elevate Insider Tip: Give each person no more than 1 minute to share! This ensures everyone gets included (even the quiet folks), and no one steals the show. 

Create a Specific Communication Channel. When it comes to sharing something awesome that happened or simply something you’re grateful for, sometimes you gotta strike the iron while it's hot! Try creating a designated communication stream specifically for team members to share gratitude/positive things. At Elevate, we have TWO Slack Channels for this - one is called “fun and celebrations”, and the other is “personal updates”. These two channels give our team the opportunity to share gratitude (including good podcasts they’ve heard, photos of their child, a kind word from clients, and more) without disrupting normal workflows. 

See a Gift, Say a Gift. 

Last but not least, this activity can be implemented not only with your team but also at  events…or even with your family/friends! Because not to sound cheesy, material things and business accolades are nice…but at the end of the day, the thing we’re all most grateful for is each other. Here’s how this works: someone (team member A) kicks off by sharing a gift or something they appreciate about someone else (team member B). Team member B then continues that for someone else on the team, and the process continues. Team members leave feeling more deeply connected and more importantly, appreciated. 

Remember - just like anything else in life, gratitude is a choice! Deciding to cultivate gratitude within your organization will truly be the gift that keeps on giving - most importantly by making your people feel seen and cared for. 

If you try any of the tips above, OR if you have a favorite way to practice gratitude, let us know in the comments below!