Creating a Culture of Gratitude

Creating a culture of gratitude is not instant but the results will endure. It is easy for people to feel bogged down with the reality of unhealthy workplaces, the worry of the recession, and the chaos of the season in our professional and personal life. The importance of cultivating a culture of gratitude in our teams in the successful and challenging seasons is that it will subsequently sustain the culture of the organization.

The Bible is filled with a recognition of the importance of gratitude in the midst of the good and challenging seasons of our life. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul commands his audience to

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Throughout the Bible, praise and gratitude toward God are anchoring themes in the Bible. When you learn to have a thankful heart and to see the best in all situations, you learn to be more positive even in the toughest of situations. It’s easy to express gratitude during success and when things are going our way, but it’s harder to see the positive during times of failure. Gratitude in the good and challenging seasons sustains us and our teams producing a culture of gratitude that will shift the hearts and minds of people.

If emotions could be bottled and sold, gratitude would fly off the shelves! People who express an abundance of thankfulness frequently experience a happiness “high” that can last for a long time. In the workplace, people feel better when their leader expresses more gratitude for their efforts, and they even desire to work harder.

Creating a Culture of Gratitude

Leaders who desire to create grateful cultures often start by thanking their team, and that’s a necessary step, but building grateful teams isn’t just a top-down job. Everyone in an organization is responsible for a spirit of gratefulness. Friendliness and gratitude should flow from leaders to followers, followers to leaders, between peers, and also from team members to the people served.

Studies have found that gratitude is associated with greater well-being. Grateful people experience inconveniences just like everyone else, but they tend to think of setbacks differently, reframing challenges in a positive light.

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

—Maya Angelou

Studies show that children who rate higher in gratitude tend to be happier and more engaged at school than their peers. They also give and receive more social support from family and friends. And they experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety while being less likely to display antisocial behaviors like aggression.

Students who were more grateful were also better at life management skills, like identifying important goals for the future. In addition, they enjoyed stronger relationships with their peers because their positive disposition made them more attractive and likable. Peers perceived them as having a warmer personality and being more friendly and thoughtful.

For parents, a good way to encourage gratefulness is simply to set a better example (e.g., express thanks or gratitude daily to their spouse).

It’s also important for children and adults to acknowledge the often-unnoticed people who impact their lives, like the school secretary or janitor.

A grateful heart and an attitude of gratitude are rooted in being content with who we are, what we have, and what we do. It is knowing who created us, loves us, and whom we trust. This contentment leads to having a generous heart and… Share on X

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

Turning denial into acceptance,

chaos to order,

confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

― Melody Beattie

Every person can live each day with a grateful heart by adopting a more abundant mindset.

People with an abundance mindset believe that today’s short-term pain, sacrifice, and investment in time, energy, and money, will eventually bring long-term growth, blessings, and success. Read more about an abundant versus a scarcity mindset and how that impacts our gratitude.

It turns out that people who adopt an abundance mindset, and approach life, challenges, and opportunities in a principled way concurrently pave the way for them to succeed and build a culture of gratitude.

Attributes of Abundant Thinkers:

Enough for Everyone

Abundant thinkers know there is enough in the world for everyone to share in a piece of the pie.

They understand that the more you share in a principled way, the more the abundance grows. Principled behavior sets us up for future success, read more about The Hallmarks of Principled Behavior in this article.

Don’t Compare with Others

Abundant thinkers don’t compare themselves with others – only with themselves.

They set realistic goals and consequently they work to achieve them. Plus, they encourage others to do the same.

Their goals are based (in a principled way) upon a logical study of achievable results in each step.

Win/Win

Abundant thinkers find common ground with their colleagues. They know that unresolved conflict is wasted time and energy consequently subtracting from an abundant environment.

They see win-win and assume that there is a way for all concerned to profit and thrive. They understand that constructive criticism (in a principled way) generally helps others to grow.

Gratitude

Abundant thinkers live lives of gratitude for the abundance of the world in which they live.

They are positive and upbeat. To them, life is a continuously replenished bowl of fruit – all ripe for the taking.

They teach others how to be positive and to live in gratitude.

Throughout scripture, we are encouraged to be thankful:

Let them give thanks to the Lord 

for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 

for he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.    

Psalm 107:8-9 NIV

Give Time, Talent, and Treasures

Abundant thinkers know that giving their time, talent, and treasures will come back to them in so many ways, therefore increasing the abundance in their own lives.

This principled process strengthens and fosters team-building and creative thinking further supporting continual improvement.

 Application Questions

• What do those closest to you say about your attitude?
• Is your gratefulness evident to everyone around you?
• Does your organization have a culture of gratitude?

Why Leaders Need to Anchor In Christ During Turbulent Times

Do you feel stuck, on the edge of burnout, worried about what the future holds in this turbulent season? Join us as we look at how our goals reveal the spiritual condition of our hearts. Pausing, reflecting, and evaluating will impact our daily habits, reveal who we are trusting, and stimulate growth.

On December 13th at 2 PM Eastern, Bobby Albert, CEO of Values-Driven Culture, will host a FREE and LIVE group coaching experience discussing “Why Leaders Need to Anchor in Christ During Turbulent Times.”

Join us on Zoom to:

• Hear why Christian leaders shouldn’t make choices out of survival mode or a scarcity mindset.
• Receive a FREE goal-setting resource that transformed Bobby’s relationships where he lives, works, and plays – and can do the same for you.
• Enter 2023 with steadfast peace and clarity only Christ offers.

Sign up FREE now >> https://values-driven-leadership-llc.ck.page/6f80521aba

Related, Articles, Videos, and Podcast Episode

• The Hallmarks of Principled Behavior – Principled behavior sets us up for future success. Learn characteristics and results of making principled decision-making.
• Does Your Face Reflect an Abundance Mindset? – A person with an abundance mindset thinks, looks, and acts differently than someone with a scarcity mindset.
• Why Abundant Thinkers Succeed with Flying Colors! – Explore five important areas where abundant thinkers differ from scarcity
• Abundance In Christ Over Comparison with Nona Jones
• Good Business Is Good Stewardship with Ben Humble