G is for Gratitude

 

Despite being one of the first five words we learn as humans, in any language, we don’t hear about gratitude nearly enough in the business world. And I don’t mean the “Thank you for your business!” stamp at the bottom of an invoice. I mean the experience of actually feeling grateful in our everyday lives and in the work we do.

No matter who we are, from architects to zoologists, our work allows us to provide a livelihood for ourselves and to provide a useful service or product to others and, in some way, to the wider world. We may think that the fruits of our professional lives come mainly from our own effort, judgement and perseverance. But if we look more deeply, our efforts are only part of the picture.

There are many other conditions that support our professional well-being and our ability to do good work: the education we received, the opportunities that arose from it, the networks we were born into and those we have built over time, the colleagues who share knowledge or make our work possible, the clients who place their trust in us, the people who recommend us, the systems and organisations that support what we do, and the fortuitous doors that open along the way, together with our ability to recognise and walk through them.

In our professional lives, very little is accomplished by one person alone. Good work depends on relationships, trust, cooperation, accumulated knowledge and countless acts of support that can easily become invisible because they are part of our everyday environment. The quality of what we are able to contribute often depends on the quality of the relationships and conditions around us.

Many conditions for positive outcomes and professional well-being are often already present. The question is how often we notice them.

How much space do we make for gratitude at work?

Our office, desk, computer, mobile, colleagues, contacts, the people who answer when we need help, the support we receive and are able to provide, the trust others place in us, the appreciation we receive for what we do: how often do we stop long enough to recognise these things?