Preferences for Written and Spoken Expressions of Thanks Among American Professionals

Abstract

Expressing thanks in the workplace involves thoughtfulness and skill. Based on a gratitude journaling exercise over the course of a month by 58 American professionals (Study 1) and a survey of over 1,200 American professionals (Study 2), this research demonstrates the many written and spoken ways in which professionals value receiving thanks in low-effort, high-effort, minor-accomplishment, and major-accomplishment situations. The research suggests gratitude expressions can be interpreted through media synchronicity theory and social comparison theory. A variety of training and teaching approaches are offered.

Keywords

gratitude expressions of thanks written thanks spoken thanks social comparison media synchronicity interpersonal communication

So often in the professional world, people miss opportunities to express thanks when others expect it. Eighty percent of hiring managers say it is helpful for job applicants to send thank-you notes after job interviews, yet only 24% of applicants actually do (Accountemps, 2017). Over half of employees (53%) say they would stay longer with their companies if their bosses showed more appreciation. In fact, nearly all employees (81%) say they are more motivated when their bosses show appreciation (Glassdoor Team, 2013).

Gallup is likely the most well-known organization that examines workplace culture and employee engagement. After 50 years of conducting tens of millions of employee surveys in over 160 countries, the lead researchers at Gallup concluded that managers and leaders are the key to long-term performance and team success. The highest-performing teams are those where managers show employees they care and recognize the good work of employees at least weekly. Of these millions of surveys, just one in four employees say they have “received recognition or praise for doing good work in the last week” (Clifton & Harter, 2019, p. 289).

While most people recognize the importance of expressing thanks, they tend to do it more frequently at home and in their personal lives than they do in the workplace. Some types of professionals are extremely unlikely to receive regular expressions of thanks, including bosses, mail carriers, cleaning staff, and TSA officers. Interestingly, young people (ages 18 to 24 years old) report expressing thanks to others less than members of other age groups and are much more likely to admit they do it for self-serving reasons (Simon-Thomas & Smith, 2013).

Some leaders go to amazing lengths to thank their employees. Each year, Sheldon Yellon, CEO of BELFOR, handwrites birthday cards to each of his 9,200 employees with the express purpose of thanking them. Everywhere he goes, he brings a briefcase full of stationary so he can handwrite notes. He explained,

When I learn of random acts of kindness being performed in the field, I take it upon myself to again, reach out in writing, and send a thank you card so that person can know they are appreciated and that their efforts don’t go unnoticed. (Akhtar, 2019)

Is that kind of effort a good use of time for business managers? Are handwritten notes in a digital age even important anymore? Can the ability to express thanks thoughtfully and skillfully be learned?

We suggest that expressing gratitude effectively in the workplace is built on a sincere appreciation of others. Furthermore, it requires art and skill to express it effectively. In this article, we focus on when and how American professionals prefer written and spoken expressions of thanks. This is not an either/or proposition: Most professionals enjoy a mix of these expressions in a variety of circumstances. We present two research studies: an exploratory, qualitative study of professionals’ perceptions of expressions of thanks in written and spoken form (Study 1) and a follow-up, quantitative survey framed in terms of media synchronicity theory (MST) and social comparison theory (SCT; Study 2). We conclude the article with teaching and training ideas to help professionals and students more effectively express gratitude to colleagues and other professional contacts.

Study 1

Theoretical Background

Gratitude has been the subject of academic research for many decades with hundreds of studies dedicated to it (Tesser et al., 1968). Gratitude is connected to many aspects of well-being, including self-esteem, mood, and life satisfaction (Adler & Fagley, 2005;Grant & Gino, 2010;Wood et al., 2010). Furthermore, gratitude and expressions of thanks drive prosocial attitudes and helping behavior (Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006;Carey et al., 1976;Clark et al., 1988;Fox, Araujo, et al., 2015;Grant & Gino, 2010;McGovern et al., 1975;Rind & Bordia, 1995). In recent years, neuroscience research conducted through magnetic resonance imaging is beginning to explore gratitude and its neurobiological correlates. This research shows that brain activity for gratitude is in the same region of the brain that houses activity for moral cognition, social reward, theory of mind, and value judgment (Fox, Kaplan, et al., 2015;Henning et al., 2017;Kini et al., 2016).

Management consultants often suggest that leaders and other professionals should express thanks more often in the workplace (Baehr, 2015;Bregman, 2012;Clifton & Harter, 2019;Riordan, 2013). Yet, research about gratitude in the workplace is still in an emerging phase (Beck, 2016;Waters, 2012). The most developed research about expressing gratitude in the workplace focuses on sales and marketing (Palmatier et al., 2009;Raggio et al., 2014).

For expressions of thanks among employees, several important studies have emerged in the past decade.Kube et al. (2012)showed in several experiments that when employers gave employees gifts as expressions of gratitude, monetary gifts did not increase reciprocal behavior in the form of higher productivity, whereas non-monetary gifts did.Ritzenhöfer et al. (2017)found that leaders’ expressions of gratitude were associated with higher perceived benevolence and integrity.Stegan and Wankier (2018)showed that when a person’s advice is rejected, that person continues to hold higher prosocial attitudes and more helping behavior if he or she is shown appreciation.Belkin and Kong (2018)showed that after a series of gratitude interventions—including reading, discussions, a gratitude bulletin board, and other training—over nearly a year, employees were significantly more likely to express gratitude to others and significantly more likely to report their leaders were expressing gratitude. Job satisfaction rose 18% after these gratitude interventions.Lee et al. (2019)found that when employees receive expressions of gratitude, they exhibited higher prosocial attitudes and higher work engagement the next day at work. Not surprisingly, software vendors have developed dozens of appreciation systems for the workplace. These appreciation systems are online peer recognition platforms that allow employees to express thanks to one another (Hamilton et al., 2018;Spiro et al., 2016).

Beck (2016)conducted one of the most extensive studies of managerial expressions of gratitude. Surveying nearly 900 professionals, she found that while nearly all professionals valued thanks from their managers, women value it significantly more than men do. In this regard, there are no differences by age or ethnicity. As far as the setting and medium, professionals reported valuing, in order of importance: verbally in one-to-one settings, monetary bonuses, verbally in group settings, tangible items (gift card, swag), electronic notes (e.g., email, social media), and handwritten notes (thank-you cards).

Abundant business communication research focuses on developing soft skills and effective interpersonal communication (e.g.,Anthony & Garner, 2016;Hynes, 2012;Knight, 2017;Robles, 2012). Yet, the abundant literature on gratitude and expressions of thanks provides little information about how gratitude recipients value spoken versus written thanks. Furthermore, the literature does not provide guidance for developing written and spoken expressions of thanks. Thus, the purpose of this research is to identify professionals’ preferences for written and spoken thanks and provide related implications for training and teaching.

In the absence of research about spoken versus written thanks, we expected that media richness theory (MRT;Daft & Lengel, 1986) would be a helpful theoretical lens for our exploratory study about spoken versus written thanks. Much as MRT develops a continuum of communication richness based on the various factors (i.e., availability of information cues, rapid feedback, personal focus, and natural language) that are available in face-to-face situations compared to various forms of technology-mediated communication, we anticipated that the available cues and ability for rapid two-way feedback in various forms of spoken and written thanks would influence the degree to which gratitude recipients valued various forms of thanks. Specifically, we assumed that people would most value spoken thanks because of the additional richness afforded by verbal and nonverbal cues as well as the two-way feedback.

Methodology

Because there is little research about the relative benefits and drawbacks of written and spoken expressions of thanks—particularly in the workplace—we viewed Study 1 as exploratory. We adopted a journaling approach as part of a larger study of gratitude expressions in the workplace for two primary reasons. Journaling approaches to data gathering allow participants to engage in enough reflective thinking to adequately articulate their views of and experiences with gratitude (Miller, 2017). Second, journaling allows participants to supply many examples, or critical incidents, of gratitude expressions. The critical incident approach is an effective way to evaluate organizational communication (Zwijze-Koning et al., 2015). This journaling approach to data gathering about gratitude is consistent with prior studies that involve writing about gratitude incidents (Chan, 2010;Lambert et al., 2009; Witvliet et al., 2018), writing letters to express gratitude (Kini et al., 2016), and using autobiographic recall to explore helping events and related emotion (Peng et al., 2018). Interestingly, psychotherapy patients who engaged in gratitude writing achieved higher well-being than those who engaged only in psychotherapy and those who engaged in psychotherapy and engaged in expressive writing about stressful experiences (Wong et al., 2016).

In our first study, we recruited 58 professionals to journal about their experiences with gratitude and expressions of thanks for 1 month. These professionals included 38 women and 20 men. As far as age, seven respondents were 18 to 29 years old (referred hereafter as younger Millennials), 39 were 30 to 39 years old (referred hereafter as older Millennials), 10 were 40 to 54 years old (hereafter referred to Gen Xers), and two were over 55 years old (hereafter referred to as Baby Boomers). They came from many industries and roles, with 11 in senior leader roles, 15 in manager roles, and 32 in nonmanagement roles.

Each week, these professionals were given two or three sets of prompts (a total of 10 sets of prompts were given during the month). For three of these sets of prompts, they wrote in response to questions about the channels for giving and receiving thanks. Specifically, they responded to the following open-ended questions:When do you prefer to receive gratitude expressions in written form? Could you give an example? When do you prefer to receive gratitude expressions in spoken form? Could you give an example?We engaged participants in this month-long process so they could reflect more carefully about the nature of gratitude expressions in the workplace and more precisely articulate their views and experiences. Near the end of the journaling exercise, we asked respondents the following close-ended question:What type of thanks in the workplace do you value most?Additional details about this question are included in the “Preferences for Written and Spoken Thanks” section.

We did this to reflect what we interpreted in the journaling exercise and test the items in way that could be part of a larger-scale survey.

The journal entries about giving and receiving written and spoken thanks were coded by all three members of the research team. We started by independently reading all journal entries. Then, we engaged in several rounds of independent coding that operated at open, axial, and selective levels (Lincoln & Guba, 1985;Patton, 2002;Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Our independent coding was aligned in over 90% of cases. In rare cases when we coded passages differently, we discussed as a team what the codes and relationships should be. Initially, we focused on tentative labels for various codes with example participant statements for each. Once we agreed on these initial codes, we began connecting them together in relationships. Ultimately, we converged on codes that described the primary reasons that participants valued written and spoken expressions of thanks (those codes are included in the subheadings in the “Findings” section of Study 1). In the “Findings” section, we describe key themes that emerged. Throughout that section, we use pseudonyms accompanied by their actual job positions.

Findings

In our first study, we found that written thanks is particularly valued because it shows time and effort (mentioned by 12 participants), it involves reflection (mentioned by 20 participants), it allows specificity (mentioned by 13 participants), it can be reminisced (mentioned by 21 participants), it can serve as documentation of success (mentioned by 10 participants), it is particularly suitable for major accomplishments and efforts (mentioned by 27 participants), and it can be shared with others easily (mentioned by 12 participants). Spoken thanks is particularly valued because it is statedin the moment(mentioned by 35 participants), it is more casual (mentioned by 21 participants), it is well suited for smaller efforts and minor accomplishments (mentioned by 21 participants), it allows more verbal and nonverbal expressiveness (mentioned by 24 participants), and it can be a form of public recognition (mentioned by 19 participants).

Written Thanks Shows Time and Effort

Participants consistently mentioned how the time and effort of writing thanks was greatly appreciated. They often emphasized the value of handwritten notes. Roy, a general manager and a Baby Boomer, said, “I still appreciate hand-written notes, even over an electronic thanks, although both are better than nothing at all.” Madison, a consultant and an older Millennial, said,

I prefer, in general, to give written expressions—handwritten not typed—over verbal. For me, it means more to take time out of my day to write something. I usually reserve this form for big thank yous. . . . For example, someone helping me with a significant project that I struggled with or someone checking in with me when I seem really stressed.

Participants mentioned how these notes could be as simple as short notes. For example, John, a designer and an older Millennial, said,

A note on my keyboard especially feels like a nice surprise to return to because I know the other person sought me out. After submitting a report to my supervisor for review, in the past, she has returned it with a job well done note. Thanking folks in a timely manner is also important to me, and sometimes, writing and leaving a note/email is the best way to catch that moment.

Some participants stressed that timely written notes could open opportunities. Sophia, a school principal and a Gen Xer, said,

I always enjoy a written note—handwritten is particularly special, but email is good and easy. . . . Yesterday I just received a handwritten thank you letter from a candidate I interviewed for a job. It was really thoughtful of him to take the time.

Written Thanks Involves Reflection

Many participants suggested how written thanks involves reflection, making the thank-you note feel more sincere and valued. Zachary, a director of development and a Gen Xer, said, “When gratitude is expressed after a bit of resting time, it communicates that the giver of thanks actually reflected on your work, as opposed to simply responded to it on the spot.” Lori, a sales specialist and a young Millennial, similarly mentioned,

If someone has done something that I am still thinking about later, I like to send them a note whether it be by email, text, or snail mail, to really show how much I appreciated whatever it is that they did.

Cheryl, a marketing specialist and an older Millennial, said,

I love giving them in written form whenever the gratitude is for something that needs time to think, prose, and write. . . . When it is a situation in which the person has made a HUGE difference, has really changed the game plan, has gone above and beyond, or has showed their character, that is a written form of gratitude.

Written Thanks Can Be Specific

Participants often commented how written thanks often allows more specificity. Victoria, a project manager and an older Millennial, said,

I prefer to give gratitude expressions in written form following a specific action. When I write a thank-you note or letter of appreciation, I specifically call out what I am thankful for. It reminds the person receiving it that their actions matter. For example, I wrote a thank you card to an admin and not responsible for supporting our team to thank her for helping schedule training sessions with our business partners across multiple geographic locations. She really appreciated the handwritten note.

Similarly, Alice, a public policy consultant and an older Millennial, said,

I love written gratitude and I would rather write a letter because it’s easier for me to ensure that I am being complete and honest in what they mean to me. It’s easier to be specific and to get detailed in your gratitude that way.

Written Thanks Can Be Reminisced

Participants frequently commented on how the durable nature of written thank-you notes allowed them to reminisce. Often, they stated they would use these thank-you notes at moments when they were disappointed or when they needed motivation. Cheryl, a marketing specialist and an older Millennial, said, “I love emails from customers or folks that I have helped because I can save them for a rainy day and reconfirm that I do an ok job and help people out.” Gloria, a unit coordinator and an older Millennial, echoed this view,

When it is a heartfelt acknowledgement of what I bring to the team or a project then I would like it to be written to be able to save it for another time when I need a pick-me-up or reflection.

Likewise, Louis, a training specialist and an older Millennial, said, “I really like leadership affirmation notes so I can read them later when my day isn’t going great.” Teresa, a registrar and an older Millennial, said,

I prefer to receive gratitude in written form if it is following a big project or accomplishment. It feels more permanent. . . . I’d appreciate a note of thanks that I can read again later if I’m second guessing my work or feeling down.

Written Thanks Can Serve as Documentation of Success

Another aspect of the permanent nature of written thanks is that it can come in handy for performance reviews. For example, Janice, a consultant who is an older Millennial, said,

When it is from superiors or in reaction to a large deliverable, it is nice to have proof of these expressions for performance reviews. I recently started leading a weekly status meeting for more than 50 people and it is nice to receive notes to remind me that the effort is paying off and proof that my work is appreciated by others.

Janice, a consultant who is an older Millennial, said, “If I have performed well on a project or presentation, it is nice to have a written thank you to store for use in a later performance review.”

Written Thanks Can Be Shared

Many participants appreciated thanks in written form because it can be shared immediately with others. Aaron, a business analyst who is a young Millennial, said.

I suppose if I had to lean on when written would be most desired would be when I present to my executives and my direct manager praises me while adding them to the distribution list. Similarly, if those same said executives want to shoot me praise, I prefer in written form.

Marie, an admissions director and a Baby Boomer, said, “I appreciate thanks that goes out to the community in written form because it seems more lasting and reaches more people.” Elizabeth, a camp director and an older Millennial, said,

When it is from a client. I like to be able to read it and then share it easily with others. When a camper parent gives us thanks about their child’s counselor it is great to be able to read it and share with the office staff and then forward to the counselor. The counselors are always super appreciative to read the kind words. It feels extra nice to them when they can see the words from the parent versus hearing it from me.

Written When Spoken Not Possible

Finally, many participants noted that written communication was necessary when there was not a natural or convenient time to do so in person. Zachary, a director of development and a Gen Xer, said, “When verbal is not an option and/or when I want to provide recognition in front of an audience (e.g., CC’ing colleagues).” Gabriel, a chief operating officer and a Baby Boomer, said,

I like to write something immediately after I’ve had a good experience with someone. Sometimes that means a Slack or text message and sometimes an email. If I really wanted to be the best me I can be, I would write it on a card and send it via U.S. mail because I think that is often more meaningful but it’s important that I share the positive feedback as quickly and genuinely as possible.

Written Thanks for Major Accomplishments and Efforts

Participants overwhelmingly stated they preferred written thanks for major efforts and major accomplishments. Ethan, a legislative assistant and an older Millennial, said,

I definitely prefer to receive gratitude written when it’s a big favor! Morning [is best] as it could jumpstart a day. Or, of course, when I’m feeling down. Written form holds more weight sometimes, because it is something you have to show for your work. For recognition of large projects or favors that I’ve done, I prefer written gratitude.

Similarly, Kathryn, an admission officer and an older Millennial, said,

I prefer to receive gratitude in written for longer term projects or work. It feels more personalized and special when it is thanks for work that isn’t necessarily routine. For example, at the end of my summer season, I received a personalized card from my boss thanking me for my work. It was a nice touch and was more meaningful than a spoken thank you.

Relatedly, written communication is often viewed as slightly more formal. Doris, an account manager and an older Millennial, said,

I think written gratitude is a bit more formal (and sincere) so I think it’s more warranted after a win on a long-standing project or to express gratitude to someone whom you’ve worked with for a long time and have developed a relationship with.

Spoken Thanks Is In the Moment

Participants consistently talked about the value of immediacy in spoken thanks, often referring to this asin the moment. Joyce, a financial analyst and an older Millennial, said, “I think [spoken thanks is best] in the moment.” Often, in-the-moment thanks was viewed as authentic. Susan, a school administrator and an older Millennial, said, “In person, when I have observed a behavior in the moment, I like to share a bit of spoken gratitude. It feels important to do so right when it happens so it is felt as most authentic.” Similarly, the spontaneity of spoken thanks was often mentioned. Nancy, an accounts manager and a Baby Boomer, said,

If you’ve gone way out of your way to be helpful or even just offered to be helpful, there is a nice feeling about someone popping in to your office to say hey, thanks for helping me or that was really nice of you to be so thoughtful and want to help.

Spoken Thanks Allows Deeper Thanks Due to Verbal and Nonverbal Expressiveness

Participants often described how spoken thanks is easier to use tone and nonverbal communication to express the depth of thanks. Elizabeth, a camp director and an older Millennial, explained,

I usually prefer to give gratitude in person in general with my staff. Nonverbal communication is very important and can help express sentiments that may be lost in writing. It is especially helpful when giving compliments to staff who have needed help with their performance so that they can see how sincere I am with my positive feedback.

Jacqueline, an HR coordinator and an older Millennial, explained, “I prefer most of my gratitude to be verbal. It comes across with less gravitas but more impulsiveness and joy usually.” John, a designer and an older Millennial, said,

I nearly always prefer spoken gratitude. Both the power of eye contact and tone are important to me when receiving genuine gratitude from folks and this can only be done in person. When I am staying late to work on a project, and my supervisor comes over to thank me, it feels much better than a quick thank you via email.

Spoken Thanks Can Be a Form of Public Recognition

Many participants said spoken communication was particularly impactful when it was done publicly, such as in front of teams. Natalie, a community outreach specialist and an older Millennial, said,

Once a month our department meets for a giant meeting and lunch. There our director will recap the month before and give updates for the month ahead. I appreciate when my director uses that time to praise our team. Within our department, each team plays a different role and it’s nice to verbally hear we are valued and our/my work is being recognized.

Janice, a consultant who is an older Millennial, said,

A few weeks ago, I gave a presentation to a group of managers and at the end of the call, the CTO thanked me and called out my hard work. It was nice to be recognized in front of a large group.

Spoken Thanks More Casual and Better for Small Efforts and Minor Accomplishments

Participants frequently mentioned spoken thanks as better for smaller efforts and minor accomplishments. Abigail, a coordinator and an older Millennial, wrote, “I think spoken forms of gratitude are good for smaller things like holding the door open for someone or completing small tasks. An example of this was hearing my boss thank me for working hard on a project.” Kathryn, an admission officer and an older Millennial, said,

I prefer to receive spoken gratitude for day-to-day things that I do to help out. For example, the other day my colleague asked me to make a phone call for her. I did it and she thanked me in person. It felt fitting and I appreciated and felt her gratitude.

Jacqueline, an HR coordinator who is an older Millennial, wrote,

Spoken gratitude is something I prefer when it is something small and routine. Written can feel a little formal in those situations. However, the addition of IM in offices means that sometimes written gratitude expressions feel more spoken than written.

Preferences for Written and Spoken Thanks

After several weeks of journaling about their experiences, 44 of the participants responded to the following closed question:What type of thanks in the workplace do you value most?They could check up to three items, although five participants only selected their top two choices. The choices they were given were the following: spoken one-to-one (34 participants or 77.2% chose this as one of their three options); written on paper or card just to you (27 participants, 61.4%); spoken in front of people, such as your entire team or department (22 participants, 50.0%); written by email just to you (19 participants, 43.2%); written by text or a messaging app just to you (12 participants, 27.3%); written by e-mail in a group (11 participants, 25.0%); written by text or a messaging app so other team members can see it as well (2 participants, 4.5%). Overall, our qualitative and quantitative findings in Study 1 showed that MRT corresponds to our findings in some ways. For example, those who value spoken expressive emphasize that spoken thanks provides valuable verbal and nonverbal cues and is particularly sincere and authentic due to its two-way nature. Yet, other findings do not fit MRT particularly well. Written thanks is valued more so than spoken thanks by many participants and described as rich and meaningful. Thus, we chose to conduct a follow-up study to generalize our findings and to explore additional theoretical backgrounds from which to analyze preferences for spoken versus written gratitude expressions.

Study 2

Theoretical Background

Study 1 revealed common reasons professionals value spoken and written expressions of thanks. Yet, it is not clear how generalizable these findings are and how they fit into theoretical frameworks. The purposes of Study 2 were to generalize these findings and explore them in the context of MST and SCT. In our exploratory Study 1, we expected to find ways in which MRT theory (Daft & Lengel, 1986) helped explain the preferences for gratitude expressions. After conducting our Study 1 analysis, we considered an extension of MRT theory as a better candidate to frame our follow-up survey study: MST (Dennis et al., 2008;Maruping & Agarwal, 2004). MST is well suited to exploring the benefits and drawbacks of expressing gratitude in spoken versus written form. MST suggests there are five capabilities of a medium: (1) immediacy, (2) parallelism, (3) symbol sets, (4) rehearsability, and (5) reprocessability.Immediacy(also referred to astransmission velocity) is the speed with which media can transmit messages to message recipients. Traditionally, a major distinction in immediacy has been synchronous versus asynchronous media.Parallelismis the number of simultaneous transmissions that can occur at the same time among team members.Symbol setsrefer to the number of ways information can be encoded. Traditionally, MST focused on the ability of media to handle various natural symbol sets, including nonverbal, tactile, auditory, and visual cues. For the purposes of this research, we combine parallelism and symbol sets.Rehearsabilityrefers to the degree to which message senders can prepare and fine tune a message.Reprocessabilityrefers to the degree messages can be re-accessed and processed again (Dennis et al., 2008).

Written thanks is particularly appreciated because of rehearsability and reprocessability. Recipients value the time it takes to carefully craft a message in specific and precise terms (rehearsability). Also, the ability to reread the expression of thanks weeks, months, and even years later as well as the ability to share the written thanks as evidence of performance are highly valued (reprocessability). Spoken thanks is particularly appreciated because of immediacy, parallelism, and symbol variety. Recipients value spoken thanks that is in the moment and spontaneous (immediacy). They also highly value it as it allows simultaneous expression (parallelism) of verbal and nonverbal cues (symbol variety), with tone, eye contact, facial expressions, touch, and other cues. Thus, one purpose of a representative survey of American professionals was to establish whether these MST concepts effectively inform distinctions between written and spoken thanks. Also, it appears that the benefits of immediacy and parallelism are particularly appreciated for low-effort and low-accomplishment situations whereas the benefits of rehearsability and reprocessability are particularly appreciated for high-effort and high-performance situations.

Study 1 also revealed that people sometimes appreciate private thanks but at other times appreciate public thanks. In SCT, there are tradeoffs in interpersonal dynamics due to public recognition. While public recognition may enhance social status, self-enhancement goals, and individual-level feelings of pride, it may also involve substantial social costs. In many cases, employees who are effectively singled out by being publicly praised, particularly when outperforming others, worry about the social costs. These social costs may include unwanted social comparisons among colleagues, perceptions that there are threats to team unity and team-level feelings of pride, perceptions that the ability to build friendships with new colleagues is compromised, and perceptions that the recognition is undeserved or unfair. Often these social costs rise to a level in which private recognition is preferred to public recognition (Exline & Lobel, 1999;Exline et al., 2004;Garcia et al., 2019;Grandey et al., 2018;Matta & van Dyne, 2020;van Osch et al., 2018). Some studies have suggested women are more sensitive to these social costs than are men (Exline & Lobel, 1999). It is unclear how social comparison as a result of recognition is different between peers versus between superiors and subordinate. As resource allocators, bosses can provide a variety of career benefits. Thus, receiving public recognition and thanks can be perceived as beneficial. On the other hand, bosses can disrupt peer-to-peer social dynamics when they single out certain employees (Matta & van Dyne, 2020).

Methodology

We developed a survey to generalize the results from Study 1 and explore the implications in terms of MST and SCT. We chose to specifically focus on preferences for receiving thanks in Study 2 so that our research would give guidance about what professionalsexpectin terms of spoken and written thanks. In addition, we wanted to address two sets of contextual factors raised by participants in Study 1. First, participants often distinguished between situations involving bosses and peers. Second, they often distinguished among low and high effort as well as minor and major accomplishments. Thus, we chose to conduct a nationwide survey to generalize the qualitative findings of Study 1 and interpret these findings in terms of MST and SCT. Specifically, the following research questions guided our Study 2 survey:

How often are professionals thanked by their colleagues and their bosses?

What do professionals consider the primary benefits of expressions of thanks in writing and in spoken form?

What forms of thanks are valued most in low-effort, high-effort, minor-accomplishment, and major-accomplishment situations?

How are expressions valued differently from bosses versus peers?

Based on our exploratory study and the existing literature, we expected to observe the following relationships: (a) spoken thanks would be valued highly in all situations due to the benefits of immediacy, symbol variety, and parallelism; (b) written thanks would be comparatively more valued in high-effort and major-accomplishment situations due to the benefits of rehearsability and reprocessability; (c) written thanks would be comparatively more valued in situations with bosses as thankers due to the benefits of reprocessability; and (d) thanks would generally be preferred in private due to social comparison concerns, yet men are more likely to prefer public thanks.

The complete survey is provided in theappendix. Our sample involved 1,202 full-time working professionals in the United States. These professionals represent a broad range of American professionals as far as gender, age, income, region, and organizational size (seeTable 1for detailed background information of survey respondents). It is worth noting that we accounted for various contextual factors by randomizing the conditions for each survey. So, Question 1 resulted in the following eight configurations: (a) a boss giving thanks for low-effort help (n= 135); (b) colleagues giving thanks for low-effort help (n= 155); (c) a boss giving thanks for high-effort help (n= 164); (e) colleagues giving thanks for high-effort help (n= 128); (e) a boss giving thanks for minor accomplishments (n= 152); (f) colleagues giving thanks for minor accomplishments (n= 154); (g) a boss giving thanks for major accomplishments (n= 159); and (h) colleagues giving thanks for major accomplishments (n= 155). Questions 4 and 5 involved how often colleagues or bosses (600 participants completed a version with colleagues and 602 participants completed a version with bosses) thank them and how often they think they should thank them. We chose to primarily rely on categorical survey questions for several reasons. First, the forced-choice approach allows us to see how professionals make decisions between spoken and written thanks. Second, categorical data are particularly useful in teaching and training. Since the survey was categorical in nature, we used chi-square analysis for tests of significance.

Table 1.

Background Information of Study 2 Survey Respondents.

	n	%
Gender
Men	608	50.6
Women	594	49.4
Age
18 to 29 years old	293	24.4
30 to 44 years old	397	33.0
45 to 60 years old	418	34.8
Over 60 years old	94	7.8
Income
Under $25,000	136	11.4
$25,000 to $50,000	273	22.7
$50,000 to $75,000	269	22.4
$75,000 to $100,000	225	18.7
Over $100,000	220	18.3
Prefer not to say	79	6.6
Region
New England	65	5.4
Middle Atlantic	166	13.9
East North Central	194	16.2
West North Central	80	6.7
South Atlantic	217	18.1
East South Central	93	7.8
West south Central	131	11.0
Mountain	82	6.9
Pacific	168	14.0
Company size
Fewer than 50 employees	377	31.4
51 to 200 employees	196	16.3
201 to 500 employees	138	11.5
501 to 1,000 employees	125	10.4
Over 1,000 employees	366	30.0
Total	1,202	100.0

Findings

Overall, professionals say they are thanked by colleagues more frequently than by bosses or supervisors. Roughly one third (32.8%) say they are thanked by colleagues at least daily, whereas about one seventh (15.5%) say they are thanked daily by their bosses or supervisors. Roughly three quarters (75.1%) say they are thanked by colleagues on at least a weekly basis compared to roughly half (52.9%) who say they are thanked at least weekly by their bosses or supervisors. (SeeTable 2for more details.)

Table 2.

Frequency of Receiving Thanks From Colleagues and Bosses/Supervisors.

	Colleagues		Bosses/supervisors
	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent
A few times per day	89	14.8	48	8.0
Daily	108	18.0	45	7.5
A few times per week	152	25.3	98	16.3
Weekly	102	17.0	127	21.1
Monthly	46	7.7	108	17.9
Rarely	91	15.2	139	23.1
Never	12	2.0	37	6.1
Total	600	100	602	100

Generally, professionals are bothered when they are not thanked. When asked how they react when they do not receive expected gratitude, roughly 7 in 10 (68.5%) say they are eitherbothered a littleorbothered a lot. Women are significantly more likely to say they are bothered than men are. Age did not reveal any significant differences. (SeeTable 3for more details.)

Table 3.

Reactions to Not Being Thanked by Gender.

	Men		Women		Total
	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent	Frequency	Percent
Bothers me a lot	49	8.1	64	10.8	113	9.4
Bothers me a little	335	55.1	375	63.1	710	59.1
Doesn’t bother me at all	224	36.8	155	26.1	379	31.5
	608	100.0	594	100.0	1,202	100.0

Note. χ²(2) = 16.6,p< .01.

When asked about the primary reasons they value written thanks, professionals overwhelmingly value the time and effort it takes. They also commonly say written thanks allow more specificity. These most commonly valued attributes of written thanks are characteristic of rehearsability. Thus, rehearsability appears to be the most valued dimension of written thanks. The next most commonly valued attribute of written thanks is that it can be used as a record of performance. This demonstrates that reprocessability is also a valued dimension of written thanks (seeTable 4for complete details). There were no significant differences as far as gender or age group.

Table 4.

Primary Reasons That Professionals Value Gratitude Expressions in Writing.

Item	Frequency	Percent
I appreciate the time and effort it took to write it. (Rehearsability)	747	62.1
I appreciate the specificity about why I’m being thanked. (Rehearsability)	465	38.7
I can use it as a record of my performance. (Reprocessability)	378	31.4
I appreciate how carefully worded and thoughtful it is. (Rehearsability)	311	25.9
I can keep it to read again and reminisce. (Reprocessability)	207	17.2
I can forward or share it with others. (Reprocessability)	48	4.0

Note. Respondents could choose up to two reasons they most valued expressions of gratitude in writing. Most respondents (79.4%) chose two items, but about 20.6% of respondents only chose one item. For this reason, the overall percent adds to approximately 179.3%.

The primary reasons professionals value spoken thanks are that they are immediate or in the moment and they feel more casual and natural. These attributes appear to indicate that immediacy is the most valued dimension of spoken thanks. Attributes of parallelism and symbol variety—tone/expressiveness of voice and facial expressions/nonverbal communication—were often valued but less so than attributes of immediacy (seeTable 5for complete details). Age did have a significant impact on why professionals most valued gratitude expressions in spoken form. Younger professionals were much more likely to cite nonverbal communication (18 to 29 years old: 38.9%; 30 to 44 years old: 27.5%; 45 to 60 years old: 22.5%; Over 60 years old: 14.9%; χ²= [3,N= 1,202] = 31.9,p< .01) and tone (18 to 29 years old: 47.1%; 30 to 44 years old: 35.0%; 45 to 60 years old: 30.4%; Over 60 years old: 21.3%; χ²= [3,N= 1,202] = 30.4,p< .01) as key reasons they valued spoken expressions of thanks.

Table 5.

Primary Reasons That Professionals Value Gratitude Expressions in Spoken Form.

Item	Frequency	Percent
I enjoy it because it is immediate or in the moment. (Immediacy)	637	53.0
I like it because it is more casual and natural. (Immediacy)	628	52.2
I like to hear the tone and expressiveness in their voice. (Parallelism and symbol variety)	424	35.3
I like to see others’ facial expressions and nonverbal communication. (Parallelism and symbol variety)	331	27.5

Note. Respondents could choose up to two reasons they most valued expressions of spoken expressions of gratitude. Most respondents (68.1%) chose two items, but about 31.9% of respondents only chose one item. For this reason, the overall percent adds to approximately 168.0%.

Table 6displays the most commonly preferred forms of receiving thanks in low-effort situations from bosses and colleagues as well as receiving thanks in high-effort situations from bosses and colleagues. In all these situations, the most preferred way of receiving thanks is spoken in a one-to-one setting. In low-effort situations, the second most common form of receiving thanks from bosses and colleagues is through written digital messages followed by handwritten messages. In high-effort situations involving bosses, the second most commonly preferred method is to receive thanks in spoken form in front of others, followed by written digital messages. In high-effort situations involving colleagues, the second most commonly preferred method is handwritten notes, followed by written digital messages.

Table 6.

Most Preferred Forms of Receiving Thanks in Low- Versus High-Effort Conditions.

Low effort—Boss,n= 135	Low effort—Colleague,n= 155	High effort—Boss,n= 164	High effort—Colleague,n= 128
1. Spoken Just to You (65.9%; 89)2. Written Digitally Just to You (36.3%; 49)3. Handwritten Only to You (20.7%; 28)4. Spoken in Front of Others (17.0%; 23)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (14.8%; 20)6. Handwritten for Others to See (7.4%; 10)	1. Spoken Just to You (65.8%; 102)2. Written Digitally Just to You (38.7%; 60)3. Handwritten Only to You (20.0%; 31)4. Spoken in Front of Others (19.3%; 30)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (10.3%; 16)6. Handwritten for Others (9.0%; 14)	1. Spoken Just to You (64.0%; 105)2. Spoken in Front of Others (30.5%; 50)3. Written Digitally Just to You (25.6%; 42)4. Handwritten Only to You (25.0%; 41)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (17.1%; 28)6. Handwritten for Others to See (10.4%; 17)	1. Spoken Just to You (59.4%; 76)2. Handwritten Only to You (35.2%; 45)3. Written Digitally Just to You (25.0%; 32)4. Spoken in Front of Others (22.7%; 29)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (15.6%; 20)6. Handwritten for Others to See (9.4%; 12)

Note. Respondents could check up to two of these items as their preferences.

There are some significant age group differences. In the low-effort condition with a boss, 18.2% of 18 to 29 year olds expressed a preference for a written thank-you note, compared to 8.9% for 30 to 44 year olds, and 0% for 45 to 60 and over 60 year olds (χ²= [3,N= 135] = 10.3,p= .016). In the low-effort condition with a colleague, 50% of 18 to 29 year olds expressed a preference for digital thank-you notes, compared to 48.2% for 30 to 44 years olds, 24.1% for 45 to 60 year olds, and 27.3% for over-60 (χ²= [3,N= 155] = 9.4,p= .024). In the low effort from colleagues condition, 61.8% of 18 to 29 year olds expressed a preference for spoken thanks compared to 58.9% for 30 to 44 year olds, 79.6% for 45 to 60 year olds, and 45.5% for those over 60 (χ²= [3,N= 155] = 8.0,p= .045). In the high-effort from colleagues condition, 39.3% of 18 to 29 year olds expressed a preference for a digital note compared to 32.4% for 30 to 44 year olds, 9.4% for 45 to 60 year olds, and 0% for those over-60 (χ²= [3,N= 128] = 12.2,p= .007). In the high-effort boss spoken in front of others condition, 39.5% of 18 to 29 year olds expressed preference for spoken thanks in front of others, compared to 20.0% for 30 to 40 year olds, 20.0% for 45 to 60 year olds, and 61.9% for those over-60 (χ²= [3,N= 164] = 16.6,p= .001).

Some gender differences exist as well. In the low-effort situation with colleagues, women (29.1%) are more likely to prefer handwritten notes than men (10.5%; χ²= [1,N= 155] = 8.4,p= .004). In the low-effort condition with bosses, women (9.4%) were less likely to express preferences for spoken thanks in front of others compared to men (23.9%; χ²= [1,N= 135] = 5.1,p= .025). In the high-effort condition with bosses, women (32.2%) were more likely to express preference for digital notes than men (17.6%; χ²= [1,N= 164] = 4.6,p= .032).

Table 7displays the most commonly preferred forms of receiving thanks in minor-accomplishment situations from bosses and colleagues as well as receiving thanks in major-accomplishment situations from bosses and colleagues. Just one significant difference existed among the various accomplishment conditions. In the major accomplishment from bosses condition, 35% of 18 to 29 year olds expressed a preference for a digital note compared to 31% for 30 to 44 year olds, 11.5% for 45 to 60 year olds, and 0% for those over 60 years old (χ²= [3,N= 159] = 11.5,p= .009).

Table 7.

Most Preferred Forms of Receiving Thanks in Low- Versus High-Accomplishment Conditions.

Minor accomplishment—Boss,n= 152	Minor accomplishment—Colleague,n= 154	Major accomplishment—Boss,n= 159	Major accomplishment—Colleague,n= 155
1. Spoken Just to You (59.9%; 91)2. Written Digitally Just to You (34.2%; 52)3. Handwritten Only to You (23.0%; 35)4. Handwritten for Others to See (19.1%; 29)5. Spoken in Front of Others (15.8%; 24)6. Written Digitally for Others (7.2%; 11)	1. Spoken Just to You (63.6%; 98)2. Written Digitally Just to You (27.9%; 43)3. Handwritten Only to You (24.7%; 38)4. Spoken in Front of Others (18.2%; 28)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (11.7%; 18)6. Handwritten for Others (9.1%; 14)	1. Spoken Just to You (62.9%; 100)2. Handwritten Only to You (26.4%; 42)3. Written Digitally Just to You (23.9%; 38)4. Spoken in Front of Others (20.8%; 33)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (17.0%; 27)6. Handwritten for Others (11.3%; 18)	1. Spoken Just to You (52.9%; 82)2. Written Digitally Just to You (33.5%; 52)3. Handwritten Only to You (31.0%; 48)4. Spoken in Front of Others (20.0%; 31)5. Written Digitally for Others to See (14.2%; 22)6. Handwritten for Others to See (9.7%; 15)

Note. Respondents could check up to two of these items as their preferences.

In the minor accomplishment with bosses condition, women (29.1) were more likely to prefer handwritten notes than men (10.5%; χ²= [1,N= 154] = 5.2,p= .023). In the minor accomplishment with bosses condition, women (5.5%) were less likely to express a preference for a digital note than men (17.3%). On the other hand, in the minor accomplishment with bosses condition, women (30.0%) were more likely to express a preference for handwritten notes than men (15.3%; χ²= [1,N= 152] = 4.3,p= .031). In the minor accomplishment with bosses condition, women (10.0%) were also less likely to express a preference for spoken thanks in front of others compared to men (22.2%; χ²= [1,N= 152] = 4.6,p= .039). In the major accomplishment with bosses condition, women (31.5%) were more likely to express a preference for digital notes than men (17.4%; χ²= [1,N= 159] = 4.3,p= .038).

We were able to aggregate several conditions to better explore the nature of preferences for private versus public thanks from colleagues and bosses. Respondents could choose up to two options as their most preferred forms of thanks. When the top two choices were both forms of thanks for private situations only, they were aggregated as such. When one or both of the choices werein front of others, they were aggregated as public thanks. As shown inTable 8(we display the table by gender because there was a significant relationship; there were no significant differences by generation), the majority of professionals—65.5% when receiving thanks from colleagues and 61.8% when receiving thanks from bosses—chose exclusively private forms of thanks. Furthermore, when receiving thanks from bosses, women were significantly more likely to express a desire for exclusively private thanks. With an SCT perspective, this lends support to the notion that many professionals may see considerable social costs to receiving public thanks and that women may be more sensitive to these social costs.

Table 8.

Overall Preferences for Private Thanks Versus Public Thanks by Gender.

	Receiving thanks from colleagues		Receiving thanks from bosses
	n	%	n	%
Men
Public thanks	115	37.7	135	44.6
Private thanks	190	62.3	168	55.4
Women
Public thanks	89	31	98	31.9
Private thanks	198	69	209	68.1
All
Public thanks	204	34.5	233	38.2
Private thanks	388	65.5	377	61.8
Total	592	100	610	100

Note. χ²(1) = 2.9,p< .05. This involves aggregation of selections to Survey Question 1. Respondents could choose up to two items as their most preferred forms of thanks. If both items involved private thanks, it was aggregated as private thanks for this analysis. If either of the selections involved a form of thanksin front of others, it was aggregated as public thanks for this analysis.

We were also able to aggregate several conditions to explore the preferred mix of spoken and written thanks. We were able to see if professionals’ selections of preferred thanks were written only, spoken only, or a combination of written and spoken. As shown inTable 9(we display the table by generation because there was a significant relationship; there were no significant differences by gender), about 27.6% of professionals prefer only written expressions, 36.9% prefer only spoken expression, and 35.5% prefer a combination of spoken and written expressions. Age is a significant factor, with younger professionals (18 to 29 years old) holding a much stronger preference for written and spoken expressions and older professionals (over 45 years old) holding a much stronger preference for only spoken expressions. In the context of MST, these findings suggest that various professionals may have varying demands for immediacy, symbol variety and parallelism, rehearsability, and reprocessability.

Table 9.

Preferred Mix of Spoken and Written Thanks by Generation.

	Written only		Spoken only		Written and spoken
	n	%	n	%	n	%
18 to 29 years old	74	25.3	93	31.7	126	43.0
30 to 44 years old	131	33.0	118	29.7	148	37.3
45 to 60 years old	100	23.9	190	45.5	128	30.6
Over 60 years old	27	28.7	42	44.7	25	26.6
Total	332	27.6	443	36.9	427	35.5

Note. χ²(6) = 34.3,p< .001. This involves aggregation of selections to Survey Question 1. Respondents could choose up to two items as their most preferred forms of thanks. If both items were written, it was aggregated as written only. If both items were spoken, it was aggregated as spoken only. If one item was spoken and one was written, it was aggregated as spoken plus written.

Research Conclusions and Future Directions

Both studies affirmed the deep-seated desire of nearly all professionals to be thanked for their efforts and accomplishments. Professionals value thanks in the moment and often cherish it later on, particularly in moments of challenge and adversity. Furthermore, a large majority of professionals are bothered when they do not receive the thanks that they feel is deserved. Our study generally shows that the workplace is full of missed opportunities for thanking others.

Professionals hold a variety of expectations for private versus public thanks. In line with our expectations was a general preference for private thanks, with roughly two thirds of professionals preferring exclusively private thanks. Furthermore, women are more likely to express this preference when receiving thanks from bosses. With a SCT interpretation, there are likely a variety of social costs for receiving public thanks. Professionals hold diverse preferences for spoken and written thanks. They typically value written thanks because of the time and effort it takes (rehearsability), the specificity it affords (rehearsability), and the capability to use it for performance reviews (reprocessability). They typically value spoken thanks because it is immediate (immediacy), more casual and natural (immediacy), and often more verbally and nonverbally expressive (parallelism and symbol variety). MST theory offers an effective framework to evaluate the relative benefits of spoken and written thanks for the most part.

One exception that ran counter to our expectations was that thanks in writing was not valued more from bosses. We anticipated professionals would comparatively value the reprocessability nature of written thanks from bosses. Given the many positive but varied outcomes of written and spoken thanks, savvy professionals will adopt a repertoire of go-to methods to thank others. Overwhelmingly, spoken thanks in one-to-one settings is the most commonly preferred channel, yet digitally written or handwritten thank-you notes continue to be highly valued by most professionals. Written thanks tend to be even more valued in high-effort and major-accomplishment situations. Among the most interesting findings is that there continues to be high demand for handwritten thank-you notes. It is even more valued than digital thank-you notes in some situations, such as in high-effort conditions from colleagues and major-accomplishment situations from bosses. Furthermore, younger professionals value handwritten thank-you notes as much and even more in a few situations than do older professionals. Any belief that younger professionals want only digital thank-you notes is clearly a myth.

We believe our study raises the need for continued research in several directions. First, our study sets a foundation for future research about how expressions of thanks via various communication media may build on the MST framework of capabilities, namely, immediacy, parallelism, symbol variety, rehearsability, and reprocessability. Similarly, the distinctions between handwritten and digital thanks raise a broader issue of how tangible appreciation should be. We encourage future study of how small gifts (e.g., plate of goodies, flowers) and other objects (e.g., plaques) make gratitude particularly cherished and valued. Also, the emphasis on the tone and nonverbal elements of spoken thanks raise the connected issues of touch and presence. We encourage future study of how handshakes, hugs, and other aspects of presence impact gratitude interactions. A future framework of communication media should include these tangible and tactile symbols of gratitude. Second, we believe there is a great need to understand gratitude expressions through SCT. This study is clear that the most preferred forms of thanks are not in front of others. Our study, however, does not provide enough information about the mental processes that gratitude recipients engage in to evaluate social costs. Third, we suggest further study of creative and personalized expressions of gratitude. Finally, we recommend novel new ways of capturing gratitude incidents for study. For example, we recommend getting focus group and survey reactions after watching videotaped episodes of expressing thanks. These forms of research work have the potential for gaining insights not possible in text-based surveys and various forms of fieldwork.

Implications for Instructors, Trainers, and Consultants

We have employed a variety of approaches to teach and train professionals and students to improve their gratitude expressions. The findings from this study inform and supplement these various approaches. In this section, we provide several of these exercises. It is important to recognize that when we run these exercises, we frame them in terms of employee engagement, employee morale, and employee relationships.

Understand the Trade-Offs of Spoken and Written Communication

The capabilities in MST theory—immediacy, parallelism, symbol variety, rehearsability, and reprocessability—provide a helpful framework for professionals and students to evaluate the various benefits and drawbacks of spoken and written thanks. Instructors and trainers can give students and trainees a variety of interpersonal situations to give thanks and evaluate various forms of spoken and written thanks in terms of these MST capabilities. Given the differences across generations, we recommend this instruction and training include simple graphical depictions, such as the one depicted inFigure 1.

Figure 1.

Preferences for written and spoken thanks by age.

Learn to Give Personalized, One-to-One Expressions of Thanks

Overwhelmingly in all conditions, professionals stated a preference for one-to-one written and spoken thanks. We believe SCT helps explain this preference: employees often worry about the social costs of being singled out in front of groups. They also believe one-to-one expressions of thanks are more sincere. In our experience, leaders and managers often praise people in front of groups with good intentions and often do so out of efficiency (it is hard to take time to individually thank all your direct reports). Yet, the data from this research can make a compelling case to leaders and managers to thank their direct reports individually. Given the differences between women and men, we recommend this instruction and training include simple graphical depictions, such as the one depicted inFigure 2.

Figure 2.

Percentage of American professionals who want public thanks from their bosses.

Write a Gratitude Journal

Gratitude journals allow students and trainees to reflect deeply on ways in which they can feel gratitude in the workplace and how they can better express thanks to others. Journals can easily be set up as weekly or monthly exercises. We recommend specific prompts to provide structure for students and trainees. We also recommend a debrief session to allow students and trainees to share experiences with one another.

The value of gratitude journals in awareness, intentionality, and goal setting is enormous. Several comments from participants in Study 1 illustrate this. At the end of the experience, Lauren, a senior investigator who is a Baby Boomer, said,

[Expressing thanks] can truly uplift the morale in the office and result in a better work environment. That, in turn, can increase productivity. I realized that I would like to give more consideration when expressing thanks. I’d like to make an effort to do it more. In addition, I will encourage management to improve communication with staff and consider honest gratitude expressions. I realize that it feels good to give AND receive gratitude acknowledgment. It’s a balance.

Ethan, a legislative assistant who is an older Millennial, stated,

Not only do I need to express gratitude differently but I need to do so more. I think we all fail to express gratitude for several reasons—perhaps we are shy, or don’t think it is appropriate, or we don’t know how to go about it. But I think we all should make it a point of emphasis to do so more.

Kathryn, an admission officer who is an older Millennial, explained,

It has been nice thinking about gratitude this summer. Gratitude has a huge impact on morale in the workplace, both in terms of giving and receiving gratitude. I will do my best to be more intentional about gratitude in the future and will show it in a variety of different ways.

Write Thank-You Notes Under a Variety of Scenarios

Students and trainees can be asked to write several thank-you notes in a variety of situations. Then, they share these notes with other members of the group for feedback. Participants in this exercise should be advised to think carefully about their purpose and express the thanks with specificity. We typically have participants write three notes: to a superior, to a peer, and a subordinate. Other roles that can be the focus of these thank-you notes includes clients, customers, prospects, and mentors. For university students, it is particularly important to include practice in writing thank-you notes following job interviews. Similarly, university students should practice writing thank-you notes to people who have served as their references.

Engage in Role Plays

Students and trainees can be asked to role play spoken thanks in much the same way as suggested for writing thank-you notes in a variety of situations. Groups of three work particularly well for this exercise so that participants can rotate the roles of thanker, recipient of thanks, and observer.

Interview Professionals About Preferences

Particularly for university students, we recommend conducting 5 to 10 interviews of working professionals. Broadly, these interviews can focus on soft skills in the workplace. Students should be instructed to include questions about giving and receiving thanks in the workplace. Students can take note of differences by gender, age, and communication channel. In a debrief with students, comparisons can be made with the national figures from Study 2 in this article.

Ask Trainees and Students to Share How They Have Felt During Gratitude Expressions

We find that swapping stories about gratitude expressions builds motivation among trainees and students and helps them develop creative ideas to thank others. These stories are particularly impactful when they involve an emphasis on the impact on others and the feelings involved. Students and trainees recognize that a simple thank you can go a long way, especially in a client-facing position. As we have concluded, people like to hear and see expressions of gratitude and we have not noticed a way in which someone can express too much thanks if they are being authentic. Gratitude or lack thereof can change perceptions and change how someone feels. We find that this swapping of stories builds resolve to express gratitude, especially in more challenging times, on a regular basis. This can lead to stronger relationships and greater connections, which results in more effective teams.

Footnotes

Appendix

Authors’ Note

This study was considered exempt from review by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Southern California.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Peter W. Cardon

Author Biographies

Peter W. Cardonis the academic director of the MBA.PM program and a professor in the Department of Business Communication in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He researches leadership communication, technology-mediated communication, and intercultural communication.

Cole J. Christieis an MBA candidate in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He is a Human Capital Consultant with expertise in developing managers and leaders in organizations ranging from startups toFortune500 companies.

Janna Wongis a professor in the Marshall School of Business’ Department of Business Communication at the University of Southern California. She currently serves as the Chair of the Provost’s Oversight Committee for Athletic Academic Affairs for the university.

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