Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
~ William Arthur Ward
What are the two disruptions that unite employees? Stress and disengagement. According to the 2022 Gallop poll, 44% of employees said that they experienced a lot of stress the previous day. For the second year in a row, employee stress globally has reached record levels. The same research reported employee engagement is at 23%, and this dismal statistic is up since the pandemic. For employers, these numbers are frightening. For change management professionals, this information opens an opportunity to highlight skills to support employees thriving beyond change!
In addition to my role as an Avaap Senior Change Consultant, I explore wellness and well-being research and practices. A most recent challenge was to develop gratitude tools and well-being information into change plans as hybrid work evolves and people experience change differently. The objective is to improve engagement and reduce workplace stress , which causes more than 120,000 deaths in Americans annually.
The feeling of gratitude involves two stages, which both should be used to elicit engagement throughout the change process. They are:
Incorporating gratitude quotes, affirmations, wellness tools, and well-being information into change plans is welcomed since employees are not always familiar with available resources.
In creating more human-centered strategies in your existing change work, consider these questions:
Leading with authentic gratefulness is the first step in successful planning. Your change management leadership, optimism, and support incorporating gratitude strategies should support engagement and help employees thrive beyond the change.
Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.
~ Voltaire
Allyson P. Sharp is a Senior Change Consultant who works with leaders and employees on strategic engagement, design, communication, and training. To delve deeper into the tactics Allyson shared or to learn more about Avaap, contact us to learn how we can assist your organization.