How do I effectively show gratitude to my team?

In today’s working world, employees want to know you care about them. One of the best ways to adapt to the ever-changing world is by continuing your education.

A Master of Arts in organizational leadership from Charleston Southern University will help you become a more effective leader. The program will educate you on ways to build up your team. Leadership is about building relationships and helping others grow.

A great way to boost your team is by showing gratitude toward your employees. Showing gratitude will come through highlighting good work, being appreciative, recognizing accomplishments outside of work, providing access to snacks, and checking in regularly.

Highlight Good Work

An effective leader finds ways to help workers make corrections while also helping them grow. Bring attention to the good work that is done. Make it a point to share the good work others have done.

At the team or organizational level, recognize when the group as a whole has produced good work. The more frequently a leader recognizes good, hard work, the more readily employees will create good work.

Be Appreciative Each Day

Tell your workers that you appreciate them every day. Write them a card every once in a while. Say thank you to employees who have performed well.

A simple thank you is a powerful yet widely overlooked gesture. It is easier to get up and go to work when you know that you work for someone who appreciates you. The manager for whom the employee works is just as important as the work itself.

Pay Attention to Nonwork Accomplishments

Employees have lives outside of work. Many people are involved in exciting extracurricular activities. Recognize these accomplishments too.

People are made for more than punching a time clock at work. Employees use their extracurricular activities to help reenergize themselves. Next time someone completes their first marathon or wins a writing contest, make an announcement. Show them that you appreciate their lives off the clock.

Snacks Can Increase Engagement

Hard work can work up big appetites. Keep snacks in your office or a common area. Having snacks in your office will make you more approachable. It will also provide an opportunity to have a conversation with a worker who may not talk much.

Be sure to include each employee in this benefit. Ask them what snacks they would like most to have around. Having desired snacks will increase the traffic through your office.

Check in Regularly with Your Team

It is good to check in with individuals, but it is vital to take the overall temperature of your team. Effective communication starts with transparency. The level of transparency between a leader and his/her team will influence how effective check-ins will be.

Good leaders will incorporate suggestions from their team into future actions. Give workers a voice, and they will feel more comfortable on the team.

Each of these tips will positively affect your working environment. However, incorporating each of them into your leadership habits will bring an overall increase in employee morale. Workers will feel appreciated and more willing to go the extra mile.

To effectively show gratitude for your team, you need to genuinely care about what is going on with them. If done with sincerity, these tips will help you effectively show gratitude towards your team.

Cody Gray is a graduate assistant for the football program at Charleston Southern University. He has worked in college athletics for three year, and he is currently working toward attaining a Master of Arts in organizational leadership.

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