Gratitude That Works at Work: A Two-Minute Habit to Strengthen Teams

Picture a typical Tuesday.

Back-to-back meetings. Messages stacking up. People moving fast and staying polite. The work gets done and the energy drops.

In weeks like this, teams rarely need another initiative. They need one small habit that changes the tone of the day.

That habit is gratitude with structure.

Gratitude works at work when it is specific, brief and linked to real contribution. It lifts energy, strengthens connection and improves how people collaborate.

Quick Takeaways

• Gratitude improves attention by helping people notice what is working

• Gratitude strengthens connection by reinforcing support and contribution

• Gratitude shifts perspective, which supports steadier decision-making

• One practice, repeated weekly, often beats a long list of ideas

How Gratitude Shows in a Workplace

Gratitude has three practical effects that matter to leaders.

One: It sharpens attention

Busy teams miss progress. Gratitude brings progress back into view.

Two: It strengthens connection

People feel seen when appreciation is specific. That builds trust and cooperation.

Three: It shifts perspective

When pressure rises, perspective narrows. Gratitude widens the frame and supports calmer choices.

The Two-Minute Gratitude Play

This is the easiest way to start. It fits in meetings, one-to-ones, and project handovers.

Step One: Name the contribution

What did the person do

Step Two: Name the impact

What did it change for the team, client, or outcome

Step Three: Name the repeat

What behaviour do you want to see again

Example

Thanks for taking the lead on the client update. It kept the message clear and the team aligned. Please keep bringing that steady structure into busy weeks.

Three Ways to Use Gratitude Without Making It Uncomfortable

Option One: The One-Line Meeting Opener

Use this once a week, or once a fortnight.

Prompt

One contribution that helped us move forward this week was…

Why it works

It sets the tone quickly and strengthens connection

Option Two: The Thirty-Second “Appreciation Relay”

Consider implementing this in a team meeting of six to ten people.

How it works

Each person shares one specific appreciation for someone elseKeep it to one sentence

Prompt

I appreciated when you… because it helped…

Why it works

It creates shared visibility of good work

Option Three: The Private Leader Reset

This option is designed for leaders seeking a practical habit that shifts their focus.

Two prompts

• What support did I receive that helped me the most this week?

• What did I do that helped someone else do their best work?

Why it works

It builds leadership awareness and improves follow-through

Copy-and-Paste Scripts

One-to-One Script

• I want to acknowledge something specific

• When you [contribution], it [impact]

• Please keep doing that, because it strengthens [team outcome]

Team Script

• Before we start, one quick check-in

• Name one contribution you appreciated this week and the impact it had

Project Close Script

• One thing that helped this project run well was [contribution]

• The impact was [impact]. Next time, we want more of [repeat]

Common Pitfalls and Easy Fixes

“It feels vague”

Fix: Make it specific and work-linked

“People keep it too general”

Fix: Ask for contribution plus impact

“It takes too long”

Fix: Use one sentence per person, and keep it occasional

What This Improves at Organisational Level

Gratitude is small and the outcomes are meaningful when it becomes part of how teams operate.

It supports:

• Engagement through recognition and connection

• Resilience through stronger relationships

• Retention through a healthier team climate

• Productivity through smoother collaboration

Measurement helps leaders scale this work across teams, focus effort, and track progress over time

Where Work on Wellbeing (WoW) Fits

WoW provides organisations and practitioners with a clear way to measure wellbeing, benchmark results and turn insight into practical action.

It examines four pillars:

• Global wellbeing

• Life satisfaction

• Workplace wellbeing

• Component wellbeing

This supports more consistent wellbeing conversations, and it strengthens the link between daily habits and measurable outcomes.

A Simple Action for this Week

Choose one of these and use it once:

• One-line meeting opener

• Appreciation relay

• One-to-one script

Then notice what changes:

• Energy in the room

• Quality of discussion

• Speed of collaboration

Small habits compound.

When people are capable yet stretched, the issue is rarely effort.

It is the operating rhythm: how they reset, prioritise, recover, and respond under pressure.

Work on Wellbeing helps teams build a repeatable rhythm. Simple routines that fit real workloads, and measurement that makes progress visible.

What WoW Helps With

• Leaders modelling calm, focused decision-making as pace increases

• Teams reducing friction and rework through stronger day-to-day habits

• More sustainable performance that holds through busy periods

• Clear evidence of progress, alongside lived experience

The Value WoW Delivers

• Stronger focus and prioritisation in busy, ambiguous weeks

• Better recovery so performance stays consistent

• More constructive team behaviour under stress

• A credible way to track change and impact

View upcoming accreditations

Upcoming WoW Accreditation | Tuesday 3 March 2026

Dates and time

• Tuesday 3 March - Thursday 5 March

• 9:00am - 12:30pm (AEDT)

Post-accreditation path

• Administer the Work on Wellbeing assessment globally

• Debrief results in plain English

• Help organisations benchmark wellbeing and prioritise actions that lift engagement, resilience and retention

Register here for the March 2026 intake

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