Who or what are you grateful for today?
Research shows that it is important to reflect on this question regularly. This month, Nathalie Arteel interviews Robert Emmons, the renowned American gratitude expert.
“We know from philosophy and religion that gratitude is important and makes a difference. Scientifically, it was still an uncharted territory,” explains Robert Emmons when I asked him why he specialized in gratitude. Emmons is a professor at the University of California, Davis, where he studies the psychology of gratitude and its effects on our lives. He is a pioneer in positive psychology and has written books and scientific articles on gratitude.
To demonstrate that gratitude truly impacts people, Emmons started an experiment: “I asked students to keep a daily journal each evening, noting everything they were grateful for that day. This turned out to make a big difference. One of my first findings was that people who wrote down what they were grateful for exercised more.”
“If you move more, you feel happier, sleep better, and cope with stress more effectively.”— Robert Emmons, the renowned American gratitude expert
Gratitude as the essence of our existence
How would you define gratitude?
“Sometimes we dismiss gratitude as a simple reaction: out of politeness, it’s important to say thank you. But it goes much deeper than that. Gratitude contains reciprocity. When we receive something good, we don’t just keep it for ourselves — we want to share it with others. My research shows this as well: grateful people are more generous, more compassionate, and more forgiving.”
“After twenty-five years of research, I conclude that gratitude belongs to the very core of our human existence. It’s a bold statement, but research confirms it. The essence of who we are as humans is that we are receiving beings. We depend on others. Of course, we need a healthy sense of self-worth, awareness of our own qualities, and the understanding that we have something to offer others. Receiving gratitude from others nourishes our self-worth because we then know that we are valued in the eyes of others. Some companies, like you Nathalie, specialize in developing recognition software. With it, you acknowledge the value of recognition. This is crucial, because receiving appreciation is a basic human need.”
Culture of gratitude
How can organizations benefit from a culture of gratitude?
“Let me tell a story. Years ago, I flew with Southwest Airlines and noticed someone handing a flower to every passenger in the boarding area. I thought it was nice, until I realized the flower was meant for a woman standing at the gate. It was her last day, and her colleagues wanted to celebrate and appreciate her. This showed me that gratitude is inherent to Southwest Airlines’ corporate culture. I researched founder Herb Kelleher, who had a statement about experiencing gratitude that science now confirms. He said:
‘It is my habit to try to understand how valuable something is by imagining how it would be without it.’ Research indeed shows that imagining the absence of a positive thing has a greater impact on gratitude than simply acknowledging its presence. He understood that the more gratitude the company showed, the better it would perform.”
“Various studies on gratitude in the workplace highlight how crucial it is for job satisfaction, engagement, productivity, profitability, absenteeism, and employee retention. A Gallup study ten years ago also showed that ‘feeling unappreciated’ is the number one reason people change jobs.”
Sincere gratitude
Why is there still such a gap between knowing the importance of gratitude and actually practicing it?
“There are many reasons. I think we often miss the nuances of gratitude. There is a one-size-fits-all approach to appreciation, while in reality, perceptions of gratitude vary widely. Even more important is whether gratitude is perceived as sincere. People are very good at detecting sincerity and authenticity.”
“We identified four elements of sincere gratitude.
- First, be specific. Simply saying ‘thanks for your work’ means nothing — it doesn’t explain what the person did to earn your gratitude. For example, did it make your life easier, or help a colleague meet a deadline?
- Second, make it personal. A thank-you sent to an entire team does not have the same impact as a thank-you to each team member individually.
- Third, gratitude should be timely: thank people immediately instead of waiting for annual compliment days or work anniversaries.
- Finally, gratitude should match the effort: a project someone worked on for months deserves more gratitude than a task completed in a few minutes.”
Grateful leaders
How can leaders embed gratitude and appreciation in their organizational culture?
“Parents often ask me how they can raise more grateful children. I tell them that we can’t give our children what we don’t have ourselves. We must be role models. The same applies to organizational leaders. Leaders cannot dedicate a month to workplace gratitude while walking around complaining themselves. The most successful organizations are those where, when you walk through the workplace, you feel something different. There’s an atmosphere of empowerment, gratitude, encouragement, and recognition — and it starts from the top.”
“We know that grateful leaders are more effective leaders because they create a climate of engagement. Grateful people are generous, compassionate, and forgiving. The most successful organizations are those where you feel a culture of empowerment, encouragement, and recognition.”
Training: Winning with Appreciation
A culture of recognition and appreciation is not just a ‘nice-to-have.’ It is essential for increasing engagement and also supports your organization’s financial results.
