What is a culture of gratitude?

A culture of gratitude is an environment where people feel able to express appreciation for one another. In the workplace, this might involve recognising an employee’s hard work, acknowledging contributions or thanking colleagues for sharing valuable ideas.

Why is a culture of gratitude important?

When employees’ achievements are recognised and celebrated, they can be more motivated to put in additional effort at work. Demonstrating gratitude as a leader also sets a positive example, encouraging employees to express appreciation towards their colleagues. Here are some of the ways a culture of gratitude can have a positive impact:

• Fostering transparent communication by encouraging people to share their thoughts and feelings
• Bringing teams together, building stronger relationships between employees
• Giving employees an incentive to come to work, reducing absenteeism
• Creating a more positive and enjoyable working environment
• Strengthening your employer brand, as employees are more likely to speak positively about the company when their efforts are appreciated

Let’s explore how a culture of gratitude can also contribute to inclusion and belonging in more detail below, both of which are key drivers to success.

How a culture of gratitude fosters inclusion and belonging

A culture of gratitude encourages human connection, and practising it regularly can help your employees build empathy and perspective-taking skills. Its emphasis on connection rather than competition helps create a more positive work environment, where employees view achievements as collaborative rather than individual.

Collaboration, bonding and perspective-taking are also central to building a culture of inclusion and belonging. As highlighted in our research, inclusion and belonging are key drivers of business success, due to their close link to work wellbeing.

Communication exercises for fostering gratitude

Creating a culture of gratitude does not have to be a challenge, but it’s something that needs to be encouraged through repeatedly setting a good example. Here are some ways that you and your employees can achieve this:

Just say ‘thank you’

Fostering gratitude really can be as easy as making sure to say ‘thanks’ where it’s due. When you and your employees have deadlines to meet and projects to complete, thanking each other for your efforts may not be your top priority. However, leading by example and taking the time to express your thanks means that your employees do not feel like their efforts are going unnoticed, and it could give them an extra motivation boost.

Create an employee recognition programme

Employee recognition programmes can help ensure appreciation feels personal and specific to each employee’s personal wants and needs. As we explore in our guide to creating employee recognition schemes, there are two types of programmes: structured and unstructured. Structured recognition programmes give employees goals they can work towards, and if they achieve them, they receive a set reward. 

Since employees have different preferences depending on their personality, interests and needs, one-on-one conversations can help identify what motivates each individual. This not only demonstrates respect for your employee’s preferences, but also shows you’re listening and genuinely value their work.

Team building exercises

Team building exercises that strengthen trust and communication can also help you develop a culture of gratitude in the workplace. For example, you could hold a group activity where employees sit around a table and take turns sharing what they appreciate about each of their colleagues. This can also be an excellent icebreaker for new employees who are still getting to know people, or help strengthen relationships between existing ones.

Organisational events

Cross-departmental games can also foster a culture of gratitude. For example, you could hold a game of rounders in which each team is made up of a mix of employees from different departments. This offers an opportunity for colleagues to get to know each other better and bond over shared successes. In the long-term, this can open up new cross-departmental collaboration opportunities.

Reducing competitiveness

Competitiveness is common in many workplaces and can sometimes motivate employees. However, when competition becomes excessive, it can do more harm than good. A highly competitive environment may lead to toxic behaviours, where employees focus on outdoing one another rather than collaborating on projects.

If you want to create a culture of gratitude, it’s important to address these negative competitive dynamics. There are several ways to encourage gratitude and collaboration over unhealthy competition, including:

• Conflict management training, with a focus on resolving disagreements constructively
• Rewarding teams rather than individuals, to promote collaboration
• Modelling collaborative and generous behaviour as a leader
• Addressing gossip and shutting down negative discussions about colleagues

What is toxic gratitude culture?

One issue that can emerge in a culture of gratitude is ‘toxic gratitude’. Here are a few common examples of toxic gratitude and ways to prevent them.

Favouritism in the workplace

If managers or employees express gratitude towards certain individuals while overlooking others, this may signal favouritism. This can be particularly damaging when employees who consistently work hard go unrecognised simply because they are successfully doing their tasks on time continuously.

To address systemic favouritism, establish clear policies that define what favouritism looks like and outline the consequences for managers or employees who engage in it. Leadership development programmes can also help managers identify and address favouritism in their teams.

Toxic positivity

When gratitude and positivity become the only acceptable ways to communicate at work, employees may feel unable to express negative emotions such as frustration or raise legitimate concerns. Over time, this can lead to burnout and increased employee turnover, because they don’t feel like they can fully express themselves at work or raise concerns when it’s important.

Encouraging transparency at work can encourage people to speak up when they have worries about the way things are being done.

When implemented effectively, a culture of gratitude encourages employees to recognise each other’s achievements. Combined with transparency and open communication, gratitude can create a genuinely supportive and collaborative working environment. As outlined earlier, this can be fostered through leading by example, organising events and offering team-building opportunities.

FAQs

Can cultural differences shape the way employees express gratitude?

Yes, and it’s important to be respectful of these differences. Some employees may feel more comfortable expressing gratitude through non-verbal gestures, such as giving small gifts, bringing food to work or assisting colleagues with extra tasks. These employees may also prefer receiving non-verbal expressions of appreciation, and might find acts of support more meaningful than a verbal ‘thank you’.

Transparency and strong communication help ensure everyone’s needs are recognised. This includes learning what matters to each employee and understanding how they prefer to give and receive appreciation.

What is the difference between a healthy gratitude culture and toxic positivity?

A healthy culture of gratitude encourages recognising achievements while still allowing for open and transparent communication. This means employees feel safe to raise legitimate concerns or express frustration. In contrast, toxic positivity suppresses all negative emotions, creating an environment where employees feel they can only express positivity, which can lead to unresolved issues and burnout.

How can leaders encourage gratitude without a formal programme?

Leaders can set the tone by consistently modelling appreciative behaviour themselves. Simple, sincere actions like saying ‘thank you’ for a colleague’s effort are highly effective and do not require a formal programme. Additionally, leaders can foster gratitude by addressing unhealthy competition, rewarding team collaboration over individual rivalry, and actively discouraging negative talk or gossip among colleagues.