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Recent reports have shown that the high degree of caregiver burnout, toxic work environments, and a chronically disengaged workforce create significant problems for healthcare organizations. Additionally, the human brain's built-in negativity bias naturally inhibits positive emotions, including gratitude. Without a deliberate effort to focus on what's positive and working well in your practice environment, you succumb to this bias, tolerating negativity and an unhealthy work culture at a significant loss of productivity and revenue. Today, growing research on positive psychology, gratitude, and contemporary neuroscience provides a greater understanding of the positive impact of gratitude in the workplace, on employee engagement, and the overall success of the practice environment.
KEY WORDS: Employee engagement; gratitude; resilience; health; well-being; caregivers; self-care; wellness; positivity.
THE SCIENCE FOR CREATING A MORE POSITIVE AND HEALTHY WORKPLACE
Imagine a medical practice of clinicians, licensed caregivers, and administrative staff able to bring their best selves to work every day, fully engaged and able to recognize the meaningful contributions they make to their patients, families, and each other. Knowledge and know-how on building and sustaining this type of positive work environment through behavioral incentives has been a chronic challenge for practice leadership . . . until now.
Reports on the high degree of caregiver burnout, toxic work environments, and a chronically disengaged workforce indicate significant problems for healthcare organizations. Recent Gallup research found that 53% of American workers are not engaged, showing up without cognitive and emotional connection to their work and workplace, with 13% actively disengaged.1 One report found the cost of toxic work cultures to be a staggering $223 billion in turnover alone.2 Without making a deliberate effort to focus on what's positive and working well in your practice environment, you succumb to this bias and tolerate negativity and an unhealthy work culture at a significant loss of productivity and revenue.
Before exploring the science of gratitude and defining gratitude, we need to first consider the science of positive psychology. The current and researched definition of positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals, communities, and institutions to thrive.
Just as good health is not just the absence of disease, or being fearless is not the absence of fear, positive psychology is not the absence of pain...