Thankful for Our Trusted Relationships
The holiday season is typically a time to give thanks and express gratitude in our personal lives. However, gratitude in our professional world is also essential as it satisfies a individual sense of belonging. The appreciation of our relationships provides a feeling greater than ourselves. Being part of an organization where you feel appreciated, valued, and respected creates a desire to reach your fullest potential.
Gratitude goes hand in hand with the act of giving recognition. When we recognize one another, it makes us even more appreciative and inspires the person we’ve thanked to give that feeling to someone else, leading to a chain of increased morale, energy, and engagement – all of which directly influence network growth, performance, and trust. In effect, the result is a ripple of acknowledgment and appreciation that surges forward, transforming and inspiring us.
When recognition is offered frequently, the impact of that positive reinforcement is even greater. While people can underestimate the impact of showing their gratitude, it’s actually contagious and can absolutely transform a network. It makes us authentic, creating a powerful human connection between the giver and the receiver. Praise creates a virtuous cycle – the more you give, the more you enhance your own supply. When done right, praise primes the brain for higher performance. In other words, the more we praise our connections, the more success we create. And the more successes there are, the more there is to praise. The more you can authentically shine praise on everyone in your network, the more your own potential will grow.
