Five to Thrive 11/25/2019

UMD’s Thriving Workplace Initiative is making the University of Maryland a great place to work by providing tools and support to foster engaged, inclusive and empowered faculty and staff across campus.

Each Monday, its Five to Thrive list offers five strategies crowdsourced from research, experts and our own UMD community to help your workplace thrive.

’Tis the season for giving thanks. A workplace culture where people dish out gratitude like mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing increases morale, reduces stress and improves job satisfaction. It’s also contagious. Here are five tips for giving thanks at work:

• Write it down. Commit to write a thank you note to a colleague, boss or an employee once a week. Make it specific and forgo an email for actual paper; a physical note is more personal and something they can keep.
• Don’t forget the people behind the scenes. Seek out those who make life easier in the office, but might be overlooked (the coffee pot in the breakroom doesn’t fill itself every morning).
• Make it public. Showing gratitude for a job well done is always a good thing, but shout-outs in a team meeting, at an event or over a group email makes the person being praised feel special and gives something for everyone to celebrate.
• Share praise with the boss. The next time you want to thank someone for a job well done, copy their boss. Better yet, send a specific message directly to the supervisor that recognizes an employee’s contribution and impact.
• Gratitude goes beyond saying thanks. Invite a colleague to lunch, involve them in decision-making, ask about their kids or their dog, or even forward an interesting article you think they might like.

Join UMD’s Thriving Workplace Initiative for a special Thrive Thursday on building a culture of generosity in the workplace at 9 a.m. Dec. 5. Details and registration of this free event can be found here.