Change Guides Newsletter
In This Issue
Gratitude in the Workplace
Trust Me, Thanks Makes a Difference
  The Eight Constants of Change:  Constant #8 - You're Not in Kansas Anymore

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Fall 2017    
Greetings 
It is hard to believe that it is already November and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  As we gather with friends and family and think about all that we are thankful for, let us also remember the importance of gratitude in the workplace.

Our first article is a compilation from some of our Consultants and how they have encountered gratitude throughout their projects. 

Our second article talks about the simple acts of saying and showing thanks and how you can build trust with these actions.

Enjoy and let us know what you think! 
 
The Change Guides Team
Gratitude in the Workplace
Several of our Consultants have written a short paragraph about how they have witnessed gratitude in their projects.  We hope you enjoy the perspectives that they have shared.

Shannon Stautberg - A small act of thanks can make big difference!  An unexpected gesture of gratitude toward employees that go above and beyond their typical call of duty, can improve team morale and contribute to a project's success.  While working with a client on the rollout of a CRM system, project leadership recognized the IT team was going to be burning the midnight oil to complete data conversion in time for go-live.  To show appreciation for their hard work, the team sent Edible Arrangements to the homes of the developers that worked over the weekend.  These sweet treats helped give them an extra boost of morale to help them cross the finish line and make the CRM go-live a success! 

Gina Giannitelli - When I reflect on the clients and managers I've worked with who express gratitude... the look-you-in-the-eye, genuine type of gratitude, I see the impact on the team's well-being and their attitude toward coming tasks.  I feel more appreciated, more connected to the team, and in turn I'm more likely to go the extra mile for the best possible results.  Research shows an increase in well-being (happiness) increases productivity, and this is good news for project teams and business everywhere.  I remember sitting at one manager's desk and noticing their reminder to themselves to say "thank you" that day... I was really impressed, because I'd seen first-hand the commitment that appreciation cultivated.  Some of the best teams I've worked on, those that have driven results that get noticed, are teams where different disciplines (Project Management, Change Management, IT and business experts) actively appreciate what each brings to the team dynamic. 
Trust Me, Thanks Makes a Difference
As I was researching gratitude, I came across this quote by William Arthur Ward, "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."  Imagine how many opportunities we would miss if we never gave this present to those that deserve it.

Demonstrating trust often means showing an appropriate level of vulnerability.  We give power to the person we are grateful for by putting ourselves aside for a moment.  When we are vulnerable, we can also admit our mistakes; share the difficulties we have when making hard decisions; and be open to ideas that may be better than our own. 

I worked with a leader who joined an organization mired in distrust and dissatisfaction several years ago.  Because of some of the baggage left behind by the former chief executive, the new guy had to earn trust from the starting gate from staff members and customers alike. 

He made tremendous strides building trust in a very simple way... gratitude.  Simple acts of saying and showing thanks.

It would be easy and understandable for him to forget to say thanks. He was busy, just like we are all busy.  It would be easy to just expect people to do their jobs and get on with it, but he figured out that showing someone a little appreciation now and then could mean the difference between a "punch the clock" mentality and a committed, engaged, and trusting co-worker, partner, or employee.