Effective Thankfulness

First of all, thank you! Writing every week was not a personal goal of mine at the beginning of this year; it just happened. I am aware that many people work really hard to achieve the position I am in right now, with such an amazing and growing audience. I am truly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be read by so many of you today - it means a lot!

I've been contemplating whether to skip this week, as I, like many of you reading this in the U.S., am taking some time off. However, I realize that many of you probably have some downtime today, so here's a short but important message:

When was the last time you thanked someone? According to organizational psychologist Adam Grant's research, expressing gratitude at work cultivates a positive environment. It not only strengthens relationships, but also boosts overall well-being. Grant's studies reveal that a simple "thank you" significantly influences engagement and performance. In his studies, groups that received a thank-you message after tasks expressed a higher willingness to collaborate on future projects, in contrast to unthanked groups. Additionally, expressing gratitude positively impacted both the giver and receiver. Those who regularly expressed gratitude at work reported higher job satisfaction and a more positive outlook. These examples highlight the tangible benefits of integrating gratitude into the workplace, enhancing team dynamics, collaboration, and overall well-being.

What can you do about this? Many of the big tech companies have created internal "Thank you" platforms, so I am sure you have one available. In my opinion, while these work, they tend to be a bit impersonal; therefore, we end up not really thanking the people who are closest to us. I recommend the following:

1. Send a "thank you" email to someone on your team: Be specific about what exactly you are thankful for (use an example), but try to make it short and sweet (Bonus: If the note is hand-written, that is WAY better).

2. Thank yourself: Snoop Dogg does this superbly, and so should you. You have done tremendous work, so go ahead and celebrate yourself (e.g. take a couple of hours off and do something you love - aka Treat Yo Self).

3. Do you want to thank me? Click "Subscribe" in the top right of your screen, or recommend this newsletter to someone by sending them this link.

4. Bonus: If you are a manager, buy a small "End-Of-Year Token of Appreciation" for members of your team today. This coffee mug has proven to be really effective - pun intended - with my previous teams (Remember: You get it at a discount today).

Thank you,

Jorge Luis Pando

"Silent gratitude isn't very much to anyone." - Gertrude Stein, American novelist and poet