Showing Gratitude at the Office? No, Thanks

Of all the places where people express gratitude, the workplace is dead last, according to a survey conducted this year by the John Templeton Foundation, a nonprofit organization that sponsors research on gratitude and other topics. One reason for the lack of gratitude in the workplace is a widespread assumption among managers that setting tough goals and pushing people is the only way to improve productivity. Only 10% of adults say thanks to a colleague every day, and just 7% express gratitude daily to a boss. Jack Welch, the former General Electric chief executive who is famed for his business philosophy of ceaseless, rigorous review and improvement, always made it a point to thank employees on every plant tour and facility visit. "If you don't do it, you don't have a culture. You are just a bunch of bricks and mortar," he says.

The Wall Street Journal, 11/20/2012