The importance of gratitude: Please be thankful, it’s for your own good

Gratitude is good for business and good for your well being, or so says the collection of studies below.  You can thank me later.

The case for gratitude

My last post on the benefits of generosity got me thinking about what it takes to maintain a generous perspective. I was discussing my thoughts on generosity with a project manager, who responded “Yes, Chad, but what if we feel we do not have any more to give?”  Business and science indicate that a response may be “When you have done all else, give thanks“.

What does it mean to be grateful? Gratitude has been described as a positive emotion felt towards others rather than self.  Another description I read was gratitude is felt when one’s needs are met and yet the help does not feel imposed.

The case for being thankful is compelling.  If you want to be a success, improve your business, and improve your overall well being, then be grateful.  More than some feel-good theory, the business world reinforces the concept on sites like Smart Company, Fast Company, CNN Money, Forbes, and Inc.  Adam Smith, an early free-market proponent, stressed that gratitude is essential to social life because it facilitates social transactions when there are not other legal or economic incentives to behave fairly.

Want more of a case for gratitude?  Here is what research tells us:

• Gratitude helps you cope with stressful situations
• Gratitude from a leader results in followers helping repeatedly and with greater intensity
• The less that people take help for granted, the more grateful they will be
• When you express gratitude in a relationship, each party is more likely to feel comfortable in voicing concerns
• After a disaster, government expressions of gratitude are more likely to encourage consumer spending and continued donations in the affected area
• Gratitude results in higher seller performance than commitment, meaning being thankful may win customers otherwise committed to another brand
• Expressing gratitude improves your well being
• Grateful youth have higher grade point average, life satisfaction, social integration, and absorption, as well as lower envy and depression when compared to materialistic youth
• Gratitude helps build stronger relationships
• Gratitude fosters cooperative rather than selfish responses in the other party of an economic transaction

The benefits of gratitude are for everyone, not just special groups like non-profits or religion.  Indeed, while people who pray consistently tend to be more grateful, religion itself is associated with expressions of gratitude but not necessarily actions of gratitude.

A note of caution: you must be unselfish in your approach to gratitude.  If you are too focused on yourself, research shows that gratitude is replaced by indebtedness and you will not feel as committed or close to your benefactor.

Perceptions of your benefactor are also important.  Your level of gratitude is dependent upon whether you perceive your benefactor as being intrinsically motivated or in it for external gain.  Judge your giver too harshly, and you may be the one who suffers with overall lower levels of gratitude.

A call to give thanks

I started exploring gratitude for a couple of reasons.  First, I see a level of gratitude and respect in my company that I want to encourage and intentionally embed as a core principle.  Reading through the research made me aware of how often gratitude is expressed in the studio and the resulting increase I see in generosity of others.

The second and less attractive reason is that through my career I have witnessed a lack of gratitude in the commercial world around me.  I observe groups giving above and beyond while receiving entities with greater perceived power selfishly take and demand more.  Criticism and selfishness is expressed much more readily than “thank you”.  I am conscious that I cannot change others, but with awareness I can hope to not behave like them and catch myself when I do.

Gratitude takes practice and may require a shift in your approach.  Like generosity, research shows that the benefits of being grateful are significant.  A simple exercise is to daily and intentionally tell yourself what you are thankful for; “count your blessings” as the saying goes.

In every situation, I am aware I can be critical of what I do not have or grateful for what I do have.  The latter appears to be the option if I want to make the most of my remaining experiences on this spinning ball.

Thank you for reading.  I appreciate your time.