Gratitude in the Workplace

As part of our efforts to put the latest research on gratitude into practice, the GGSC has partnered with business leaders to find new and effective paths to gratitude in the workplace. Collaborations have included:

  • On October 13, 2016, the GGSC produced a Pioneering Gratitude in Business convening, which brought together more than 50 leaders from Google, Facebook, SAP, Southwest, Chevron, Kaiser Permanente, Genentech, Clif Bar, Pixar, and other organizations. This convening was both the starting point for a larger conversation about the role of gratitude in the workplace and also a chance to survey the current landscape for best practices, brainstorm new directions, and dissect some of the barriers to gratitude in the workplace.
  • In November 2016, a number of Bay Area workplaces, most notably SFMTA (San Francisco’s metropolitan transport agency) and Workrite Ergonomics participated in a “21-Day Gratitude Challenge” through Thnx4.org, the GGSC’s online gratitude journal. Post-challenge surveys of participants showed increased resilience and satisfaction with life, along with a decrease in feelings of loneliness. A second 21-Day Gratitude Challenge is planned for Fall 2017.
  • In November 2017, the GGSC is planning a one-day conference on “Gratitude & Well-Being in the Workplace,” to take place in San Francisco. This event will bring together researchers and business leaders in front of an audience of 500 to dive into what’s working to build gratitude in the workplace and why it’s so important for the health and happiness of both employees and management.
  • Barbara Fredrickson
    “We scientists need partnerships with organizations like the GGSC because we’re not experts in reaching loads of people on a regular basis. Providing sustained delivery of content that’s thoughtful, not over-the-top, appropriately measured, and empirically grounded—that’s what the GGSC does better than anybody.”

    ― Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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