Getty
It’s no secret how tight the labor market is right now. There is one tool (and it is free) marketing leaders can leverage for better retention: gratitude. People appreciate gestures of gratitude in their personal and professional lives. And gratitude can even help companies navigate crises. How do marketing leaders cultivate an appreciation culture? I turned to several business leaders to provide their insight.
1. Focus on positive, mutual relationships.
According to Harrison Assessments CEO and founder Dan Harrison, gratitude can change and ultimately enhance business relationships. How? It helps you move away from micromanagement and learn to grow employees through positive reinforcement. Being comfortable with your team is crucial for building mutual relationships.
Mutual relationships in your company are essential, as they open the door for people to voice concerns regarding your company and issues affecting its personnel. They also help teams honestly discuss who can work together effectively and which collaborations need to be reevaluated.
“Companies tend to fall short and focus on their own needs rather than seeing what other people need,” Harrison says. “If you don’t ever ask the question or explore those issues, then you’re never going to find them. Many people will be shy to bring them up and share them, but they will sit there and stew if they don’t have one. The combination of recognizing that there’s a mutual choice and communicating to work out a mutual benefit is excellent.”
Sometimes, gratitude isn’t about giving things or praise. It’s about providing your team with the flexibility and freedom to find their rhythm and grow.
2. Welcome employee feedback.
Megan Couch, chief experience officer at Integrity Staffing Solutions believes it’s important to keep employees focused on gratitude, in part, because it can improve communication between leaders and their team members. In turn, better communication means that businesses are better equipped to face challenges and change.
“As the pandemic continues to create global shifts that are reshaping society, it’s never been more important for both individuals and organizations to find new ways to cope with change — creating an ideal atmosphere to cultivate gratitude,” she says. “Businesses can maximize gratitude in a few simple ways, including showing recognition, investing in corporate social responsibility efforts, and opening the door for ongoing feedback. For starters, a thank-you or gift card may seem small, but this small token of gratitude can go a long way.
“Next, you can invest in causes that are important to your workforce to show your team’s importance to you. Additionally, improving communication cultivates gratitude because it provides opportunities for manager-employee feedback so team members always have opportunities to feel appreciated.”
3. Lead by example.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “People leave managers, not companies.” Bryan Adams, founder and CEO of Ph.Creative suggests that as leaders, you have the power to demonstrate gratitude and be an example of it. One way to do this is by launching a gratitude campaign that thanks a few people in the company for things they have done. Then, they nominate other people to do the same thing and so forth. That’s what Adams did to generate gratitude.
“It was like electricity in a very short space of time, and it went through the organization. It cultivated a lot of gratitude amongst the team, and actually, it’s something that has naturally continued, which I’m pretty proud of as well.”
4. Share successes in a way that makes a difference for employees.
Today, many workers don’t feel when it comes to the benefits of working harder and smarter. Bob Michael, director of content marketing at Leoforce suggests that leaders have to “champion compensation, schedule flexibility, and work-from-home options. You can’t thrive long-term if you try to save money short-term by offering non-competitive pay and benefits.”
In the current labor market, it’s more important than ever to express gratitude. By embracing gratitude in your workplace, you aren’t just making team members feel great; you are also inspiring companywide loyalty, hard work, and appreciation.
Join the Discussion: @KimWhitler
