How Your Organization Can Celebrate Gratitude All Year Long (& Why You Should)

Company Culture

Nov 20

We hear a lot about gratitude at the end of the year. Holiday messaging regularly reminds us to reflect on our year and give thanks for all we have — but we think we should do things a little differently.
Instead of focusing on gratitude at the year’s end, we believe giving thanks should be a year-round priority for organizations and the leaders and teams within.

Let’s look at why giving thanks is essential for developing more meaningful, productive, and satisfying professional and personal outcomes.

Why Show Gratitude?

Gratitude is the internal mindset of focusing on what you have instead of what you don't. Showing gratitude is a physical act that recognizes and shows appreciation for the value of the things, people, and experiences in your life.

Some of the most successful people in the world attribute gratitude to being an integral part of building their careers. Arianna Huffington, Tony Robbins, and Oprah Winfrey each say their gratitude practice is not a result of their success; it’s the cause of their success.

“I practice being grateful. And a lot of people say, ‘Oh Oprah, that’s easy for you ‘cause you got everything!’” Oprah explained. “I got everything because I practiced being grateful.”

Both the mindset and action of gratitude provide value for personal well-being and professional success.

Gratitude improves mental and physical health.

Having a gratitude practice can boost both mental and physical health, according to multiple studies. It improves sleep, mood, and immunity and decreases depression, anxiety, and even chronic pain. A gratitude practice builds resilience, increases motivation, and prevents envy, regret, and resentment — which are especially important outcomes for entrepreneurs and business owners.

Gratitude builds stronger relationships.

Being internally grateful and outwardly showing appreciation can help build stronger relationships. A gratitude practice enables you to be a better version of yourself, which means you can be more helpful and supportive to those around you. And, showing gratitude for others increases the satisfaction clients and team members get out of your relationship.

Gratitude helps you stay focused on what matters.

Gratitude allows you to focus on the things that matter, which can help you build a better company culture and stronger company mission. Being grateful helps you enjoy the process instead of getting fixated on the finish line. It reminds you and your team that there is a reason and a bigger picture behind your daily efforts.

Ways to Show Gratitude

Showing gratitude can have a positive effect on personal life as well as organizational success. Here are a few ways you can give thanks personally and professionally.

Start a gratitude journal. Gratitude can be a personal practice that takes less than five minutes per day. List 3-5 things you are grateful for each morning or evening.

Publicly acknowledge supporters. Express your gratitude in a public way by thanking people and organizations verbally one-on-one, in social media posts, email newsletters, and blog posts or during a presentation, meeting, or company town hall. You can say thanks to:

Business partners
Customers
Team members
Advisors and mentors
Inspiring thought leaders

Respond to social media comments and reviews. If customers show their appreciation to your organization, show it back. Look for positive mentions of your brand online, and respond with an appreciative comment.

Send a note or a gift. A handwritten note or a small gift is an easy way to let a company or individual know you appreciate them. It’s not as much about the gift as it is about the act of giving and spending the time to say thanks.

Give a referral. One of the best ways to say thanks to another business is to send them a new customer. Referrals show you trust and value a working relationship and want to offer support in every way you can.

3 Examples of Gratitude That We Love

If you’re looking for some gratitude inspiration, here are three examples of individuals and organizations giving thanks, highlighting their mission, and using gratitude as a way to fuel company success.

Announcing Change by Giving Thanks

Moving into a new role or organization is a great opportunity to thank those who helped you get there. We loved the way that Brooke Evans used a LinkedIn post to announce a professional change and thank those who helped her along the way. Brooke noted the individuals who helped her achieve success while also thanking her team and even the city that helped her throughout her journey. Read the LinkedIn post.

Fueling Success by Finding Greater Meaning

Gratitude is a way to see the bigger picture. It allows individuals and organizations to see the larger impact and results of their efforts, and it can be a powerful tool for finding and sticking to a larger mission. In a recent blog post, SpotOn partner Vector Solutions shared why being mission-forward helps them find more success within their organization. Read the Vector Solution post.

Growing a Company with an “Attitude of Gratitude”

Building a business comes with many challenges and hurdles. Gratitude may be one of the things that can help founders through growth challenges. SpotOn partner Tom Wallace, Managing Partner at Florida Founders, recently shared a story about how two founders of one of his portfolio companies made a point to thank him for his trust and investment in their company. It led Wallace to a realization that having an “Attitude of Gratitude'' might correlate with company performance. Read Tom’s post.

A Special Thanks To You

As we go into this season (and new year) of gratitude, we want to say thanks to you — our community, partners, clients, and team members.

Thanks for the value you provide to us, your teammates, and your clients. We are grateful for your support and the creative, inspiring, and collaborative approach you bring to your work every day. You give us so much to be thankful for today and everyday.

Learn more about the values that fuel SpotOn. Get to know our vision and mission.

Raubi Perilli