13 Creative Ways to Show Gratitude
Have you noticed how thankful we are on special occasions like birthdays or when we receive gifts as is customary at Christmas? Yet we usually don’t give thanks for consistency, such as the employee who is always on time. Or the student who always turns in her homework on time. Or the spouse who always does the cooking. What impact would we have on others if we take time to show genuine gratitude beyond the expected?
One study suggests that 70% of employees would feel better about themselves if their bosses were more grateful, and 81% would work harder.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV) says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This tells me the importance of being thankful. We must always be thankful; even for the mundane, basic expectations.
Gratitude Above and Beyond the Norm
Saying thank you is powerful, but we can ratchet up the impact of our gratitude by being creative in how we convey our sentiments.
Why would we do that? Because it shows thoughtfulness, time invested, and effort. These are all elements that make up the definition of genuine.
Genuine gratitude will make an emotional impact. This is the foundation of a healthy environment or culture. Lack of gratitude is a major factor in driving job dissatisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, and burnout.
I agree. Coming up with creative ways is easier said than done for some of us. So, here is help to get your creative juices flowing. Below are a few ways to creatively show your gratitude to others.
13 Creative ways to show gratitude
- Hand-written post-it notes. In one study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers found that receiving a thank-you note from a boss improved workers’ performance by 50 percent.
- Mail a hand-written thank you letter. This works well for those who work virtually.
- Share a homemade gift. Homemade items communicate love and care. It could be a jar of homemade jelly or even produce from your kitchen garden.
- Give thank you notes in a mini box. Place 3-5 thank you notes for the individual in the mini box. For example. “Thank you for always being on time to our meetings.”
- Add an affirmation (positive encouragement) with your words of gratitude. “Thank you for always being on time to our meetings. Your punctuality is a breath of fresh air to me.”
- Give a thank you bookmark. By the way, this is simple to make if you have access to a laminator.
- Offer a personalized gift item. Personalized pens never go out of style.
- Share a Poem. You can write one – and it does not have to rhyme.
- Buy a cup of Coffee or lunch. This could be a test of how well you know your employees. Some would actually prefer tea.
- Offer help. Take the time to offer a helping hand for something they are finding difficult.
- Use a creative analogy to convey why you are thankful. For example, you could say: “Have you noticed we never appreciate there is milk in the store until one day we can’t find any? Well, I’m taking the time now to genuinely say how thankful I am that I can count on you to (fill in the blanks).”
- Creative personal raffle. Write the person’s name on a few strips of paper. Fold and place them into a container or large envelope. Ask the person to help you draw out a winner for a $10 gift card or lunch on you. Of course, any draw they make will have their name. Share what you are grateful for.
- Cater in a “gratitude” lunch for your team with the sole purpose of saying thank you for giving you the blessing of leading them.
It’s no secret that employees who feel appreciated, even for the smallest things, are more committed and productive. Take time to feed their desire for appreciation and watch your organization’s culture improve and business results grow.
Empowered Leader Reflection
What do you believe would be the impact if you took it up a notch and showed gratitude in a creative way?
Would you share your thoughts in the Reply section below?
Photo Credit: Pixabay
