Editor's Note: We bring you Derek Irvine's Classic on the power of thanks in the workplace. How is yours doing?
Have we moved past the hard-boiled workplaces where screaming bosses, ridiculous deadlines and 80-work-weeks are the norm? Have we done enough to prove engaged, happy employees are more productive and more inclined to deliver on needed success metrics?
I like to think so, but then I begin to worry over those who discount the importance of positive and the Power of Thanks in the work place. So today, I point you to an article on the Harvard Business Review blog that reminds us that simply being kind to others actually is a strategic business decision. From the article:
In a research article published in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science [Kim} Cameron and his coauthors [at the University of Michigan] found that a workplace characterized by positive and virtuous practices excels in a number of domains.
Positive and virtuous practices include:
- Caring for, being interested in, and maintaining responsibility for colleagues as friends.
- Providing support for one another, including offering kindness and compassion when others are struggling.
- Avoiding blame and forgive mistakes.
- Inspiring one another at work.
- Emphasizing the meaningfulness of the work.
- Treating one another with respect, gratitude, trust & integrity.
Cameron and his colleagues explain that there are three reasons these practices benefit the company. Positive practices:
- Increase positive emotions which broaden employees’ resources and abilities by improving people’s relationships with each other and amplifying their creativity and ability to think creatively.
- Buffer against negative events like stress, improving employees ability to bounce back from challenges and difficulties.
- Attract and bolster employees, making them more loyal and bringing out the best in them.
It's that interpersonal connection between people that get the job done. In a world where we still talk about "the man" causing us problems, we know we can trust and reach out to Joe down the hall who's always willing to lend a helping hand when a project gets tough. Strengthening and building those relationships is much easier when we stop, notice and appreciate the work of those around us in a meaningful way.
How would you describe your workplace today? Is it one in which people have truly deep, personal connections and r
As Globoforce’s Executive Vice President of Client Strategy and Consulting, Derek Irvine is an internationally minded management professional with over 20 years of experience helping global companies set a higher ambition for global strategic employee recognition, leading workshops, strategy meetings and industry sessions around the world. He is a leader in the WorkHumanmovement and the co-author of "The Power of Thanks" and his articles on fostering and managing a culture of appreciation through strategic recognition have been published in Businessweek, Workspan and HR Management. Derek splits his time between Dublin and Boston. Follow Derek on Twitter at @DerekIrvine.elationships with each other? Is it a truly human workplace? What would you like your workplace to be?
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