Lessons from the Court: Practicing Gratitude
By: Jen O’Meara, Ph.D
Gratitude. It’s a little word with big benefits.
A quick web search shows that many good things come from practicing gratitude. Reduced stress, improved sleep, heightened mood, enhanced empathy, increased self-esteem, boosted morale, and fortified physical immunity are just some of the many mental and physical benefits we gain from expressing genuine appreciation for the people and things in our lives. Motivational guru Zig Ziglar once said, “of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing.”
The world would probably be a better place if we all practiced gratitude. We know for certain, though, that the workplace is a better place when leaders practice gratitude — especially gratitude toward their team members.
The unfortunate truth is that some individuals in leadership positions do not thank their employees. These individuals feel that employees who do their jobs well are simply doing what they should be doing, and that those employees therefore do not warrant any sort of thank you or recognition. True leaders, however, understand the value of showing appreciation for a job well done, regardless of whether that effort was a job requirement.
Consider this scenario. A football team is celebrating in the locker room after a game. The team has won, and during the course of the game, the team collectively committed zero penalties. The coach calmly walks into the locker room and tells the team that they won the game, as he expected them to. The coach then turns around and abruptly leaves the locker room.
Kind of weird, right? What atmosphere is left in the locker room? What is the team thinking? How are they feeling? Do they feel good about their win? Are they motivated to play well again?
Consider this alternative scenario. The same team is celebrating in the locker room after the same win. This time, the coach bounces around the locker room: each player gets a high five and a personal acknowledgment of their individual effort. The coach then circles the players up to address them as a team, and during the congratulatory speech makes a special point to thank everyone for their high level of discipline, which led to no team penalties (an impressive accomplishment!), which in turn contributed to the win.
It is not difficult to envision this latter scenario playing out much better from a leadership perspective. The coach understands that there is value in celebrating with the team and acknowledging each player’s individual effort in the win. Yes, the players were supposed to give a high effort, but that does not mean that the coach shouldn’t acknowledge and thank the players for that effort. Likewise, just because players are supposed to play penalty-free football does not mean that the coach shouldn’t acknowledge and celebrate the players for doing so.
Players in this locker room will likely bond together with a sense of accomplishment. They will feel appreciated and motivated to play well again, and perhaps strive to play next time at an even higher level.
The good news is that there are a lot of ways for leaders to show gratitude to their employees and team members. Saying ‘thank you’ is a good place to start. These appreciation messages from the employee engagement company Terryberry can help you as well.
Jen O’Meara is a Professor of Business Communications and a 3-time US Open national racquetball champion.
