Becker's Hospital Review

26 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHP The Two Words You Need to Say More in Your Hospital By Tamara Rosin T wo of the most powerful words you can say to a person are those we learned as toddlers: ank you. At a basic level, showing appreciation for others is expected. However, when gratitude is internalized — when it be- comes a central element of who you are — it has extremely positive effects on individ- uals' personal and professional lives as well as workplace culture. Appreciation is an especially relevant virtue in healthcare. Of all human attri- butes, gratitude has the strongest link to mental health. e effects of an authentic sense of appreciation include increased happiness and optimism, improved phys- ical health and heightened productivity. Gratitude in the workplace may perhaps be one of the greatest predictors of corporate health, for the bottom line tends to benefit when employees feel valued and respected. Yet true thankfulness is an endangered virtue in contemporary society, in which we are generally preoccupied with our wants and what we lack. Oentimes, we base the value of people on their output. "Unfortunately, I think way too many leaders don't understand how critical it is to create an engaged workforce to achieve incredibly difficult goals," says Nan- cy Schlichting, CEO of Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System. "e best companies use gratitude to encourage everyone to give their best work." Ms. Schlichting says it's the CEO's responsibility to create an environ- ment where everyone can reach their full potential, and a culture of appreci- ation is essential to this. "Gratitude is vital," she says. "Many leaders don't pay attention to the good things; they only focus on the bad. People need to be recognized both individually and collectively for the work they are doing." The value of "thank you" in the workplace e positive effects of gratitude are immense, and many traverse from an individual's personal life to his or her work ethic and performance at work, whether in the C-suite or on the hospital frontlines. Numerous studies have linked grati- tude to increased motivation and energy, better sleep, improved health and reduced stress and sadness, according to psychol- ogist Neel Burton, MD, author of Heaven and Hell: e Psychology of the Emotions. "Grateful people are much more en- gaged with their environment, leading to greater personal growth and self-accep- tance, and stronger feelings of purpose, meaning and specialness," says Dr. Burton. "For the company, this can translate into a more creative and productive workforce." According to Dr. Burton, showing ap- preciation for one another bonds people in a mutually supportive and sustaining network of social relationships. "It is the foundation of the type of society in which people can look aer one another with- out coercion, incentives or interference, which, unlike gratitude, demean rather than exalt us," he says. e type of society Dr. Burton de- scribes is precisely the kind healthcare or- ganizations should try to emulate in their culture — one in which collaboration, helpfulness and appreciation are the norm. is is not to say that gratitude and healthy competition are fundamentally incompatible elements of workplace cul- ture, according to Randy Kamen, EdD, a psychologist, educator and author of Be- hind the erapy Door: Simple Strategies to Transform Your Life. However, the goal behind any kind of competition should be to inspire employees to give their personal best. "It's not about stepping on someone's head to get to the top," says Dr. Kamen. "at's where your sense of self erodes. If you're hurting someone to get to the next level, there is no way you can feel better about yourself." Employee morale touches every as- pect of a company, from talent reten- tion and recruiting to workplace stress, well-being, productivity and absenteeism, and showing employees how they are val- ued and appreciated is intimately bound to morale, according to Dr. Kamen, who also presents on positive psychology to senior executives of Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies. "e biggest thing is feeling valued, seen and appreciated," she says. "We all have this deep need to feel valued and rec- "It's so important to show appreciation and gratitude to people in healthcare because these people are doing amazing and difficult work every day." — Nancy Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System

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