When Appreciation Hinders Growth

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. of America for a reason. With SUVs made to move with your rhythm. The versatile Equinox tackles your entire day. The spacious Traverse fits your crew and your whole weekend. And tracks bring style with value you can count on. All infused with tech that has your back. So your drive always hits the right chord. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. Gratitude has incredible benefits for teens. When employees feel grateful, it boosts engagement, improves retention, and builds stronger connections. But what if I told you, when employees feel too grateful, it can actually hold them back from growing?

1:09I'm Long Nguyen Chaplin, a professor at Northwestern University and a scholar of gratitude and well-being. In my latest Harvard Business Review article, Mike Chisholm and I explore how some employees feel so grateful for their job or their opportunities that they silence themselves. Here's what happens. They're grateful to be included, so they don't ask to lead projects or pursue promotions. They feel they should be grateful for what they're given, so they avoid calling out unfair practices or speaking up when they're stretched too thin. They're overwhelmed or frustrated, but they don't say so because expressing dissatisfaction seems ungrateful.

1:43As a leader, you set the tone. You can create empowered gratitude where individuals feel appreciated and safe advocating for themselves. Make it clear that wanting more doesn't make someone ungrateful. Ask, where do you want to grow and how can I help you get there? People may hesitate to raise difficult issues. Make it easier by asking, what's not working that we haven't talked about? Then thank them for their honesty. Praise the work, but also check in. How are you managing all this? Or what would make this more sustainable? True gratitude isn't about staying quiet. It's about building trust so people can feel safe to speak up, stretch, and grow.

2:21To learn how to build a culture of empowered gratitude, read the full article on Harvard Business Review.