I often talk about the importance of gratitude in our personal and professional lives and on the benefits of routinely recognizing the good things in our lives and saying thank you. Certainly all of us have control over whether and how often we implement purposeful gratitude practices into our daily lives, and it is important to recognize that organizations have that same choice.

Businesses that positively recognize their employees inspire real connection, and when individuals feel celebrated and valued, they’re more excited to work and more likely to go the extra mile. But, gratitude in business goes well beyond the benefits of more engaged individual employees. It contributes to a positive workplace culture overall, which leads to healthier employees, happier customers, and a higher bottom line.

Here are ideas for increasing a climate of gratitude in your workplace:

• Ask colleagues how they are doing and what their current challenges are.

• Listen with the intent to understand by engaging your ears, eyes, and heart.

• Acknowledge each individual’s inherent value. (While recognizing specific accomplishments is meaningful, don’t wait for exemplary performance to share appreciation.)

• Create a culture where solid, hardworking employees feel valued, not just the super stars.

• Say “Thank You!” and encourage others to do the same by designating a weekly gratitude day where employees are encouraged to thank a helpful coworker.

• Publicly recognize contributions of staff through an employee-of-the-month program and/or regular company-wide announcements.

• Create handwritten thank you notes, and ask other organizational leaders to do the same.

• Participate in team building activities where employees are encouraged to work together and engage in helping others through volunteer opportunities in your community.

What are your ideas for creating a culture of gratitude in your organization?

This article is one in a series discussing the importance of gratitude in our personal and professional lives, the benefits of routinely recognizing the good things in our lives, appreciating others who have helped us, practicing gratitude, saying thank you, trying a complaint-free day, taking a gratitude walk, improving attitude, handling difficult situations, recognizing fresh starts, and showing grace to others.