Gratitude at Work: A Strategic Practice for Wellbeing and Retention
Gratitude boosts morale, retention, and wellbeing.
This season, let’s move beyond client gifts and explore what it means to truly appreciate the people who keep our organizations running.
This time of year, many companies send gifts or thank-you cards to their clients, and I love that. A thoughtful note, a little treat in the mail, it’s meaningful.
But it also raises the question: If you can do it for your clients, are you doing it for your workforce?
Too often, appreciation is externalized. We direct it toward stakeholders, customers, and partners, but fail to offer the same energy and care to our teams. As we move into a season often associated with gratitude, it’s time to think about how we build a culture of appreciation inside our organizations, not just outside them.
And it turns out, gratitude isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s a strategic practice with clear ties to performance, retention, and wellbeing.
Why Gratitude at Work Matters
When people feel appreciated, they’re more likely to stay, perform, and engage. A 2023 report by the American Psychological Association found that 93% of employees who reported feeling valued said they are motivated to do their best at work, compared to only 33% of those who don’t feel valued.
It also helps us manage stress. Research by Emmons & McCullough found that people who practice gratitude experience lower levels of stress hormones, better sleep, and more optimism. In industries with seasonal spikes, like events, healthcare, or retail, appreciation becomes a tool for protecting wellbeing and reducing burnout.
Insights from the Event Professionals Network
At a recent meetup hosted by the Event Professionals Network, I joined Jolene Thomas of Mean Bean Marketing and the Gregory Events team to explore “Mindful Gratitude: The Leadership Advantage We Can’t Afford to Ignore.” Together, we looked at how appreciation can be operationalized, not just idealized.
A few powerful takeaways:
Gratitude protects your bottom line. Gallup reports that employee disengagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion annually. Retention of clients, employees, and vendors starts with making people feel seen and valued.
Specificity matters. “Great job” is nice, but “Your pivot on the signage plan saved us from an on-site miss” is powerful. Specific appreciation strengthens relationships and clarifies performance standards.
Timing is everything. In-the-moment recognition such as thanking the tech who fixed your soundcheck or the vendor who stayed late builds trust in real time. Don’t wait.
Gratitude stabilizes teams. During Q4 chaos and peak workload periods, small acts of thanks can keep teams grounded and collaborative.
If You Can Do It for Your Clients, You Can Do It for Your Workforce
Last week on LinkedIn, I shared a reflection about the imbalance between client appreciation and employee appreciation. It resonated with a lot of people who’ve been asked to spend money on clients but didn’t feel that same level of gratitude internally. If you want your clients to feel valued, start by valuing the people who take care of them.
It’s a simple idea, but it holds a mirror up to our systems. How often are we unintentionally signaling that external relationships matter more than internal ones?
Build Appreciation Into the Workday (Not After Hours)
Gratitude doesn’t have to be flashy. It doesn’t have to be expensive. But it should be embedded in how we work, not just an after-hours extra.
At Wellbeing Think Tank, for example, we start every board meeting with a team-building icebreaker. It’s simple, it’s on the clock, and it helps us learn about one another in ways that make collaboration smoother. That matters.
Because when appreciation becomes part of the operating system that is structured into meetings, retrospectives, and recognition practices, it evolves from a “moment” into a cultural norm.
Want Ideas? Start Here
Need inspiration for appreciation practices that boost morale, promote joy, and still align with your culture? Start with these:
Add humor to your awards. Try “Most Likely to Calm a Client with One Email” or “Best Internal Memo That Deserved a Standing Ovation.”
Create an appreciation channel. Whether it’s Slack, Teams, or even a shared doc, give people a space to shout each other out.
Send a gratitude nudge. Add a “Who helped you this week?” prompt to your weekly team check-in.
Share a sweet treat. If your client gifts include cookies or coffee cards, do the same for your staff.
Practice “gratitude mirroring.” When you hear someone praise a colleague, amplify it. Tell them you heard it too.
And check out this roundup of creative games and activities from our partners at Reward Gateway:
👉 10 Employee Appreciation Games and Activities to Improve Engagement
It’s not about grand gestures. It’s about noticing. Naming. And making gratitude part of how we work.
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