Grant, a facilitator for Frontier Academy, explains why a quest for influence must begin with understanding the power of gratitude.
In a room full of sales executives, bankers, IT professionals, consultants, and architects, we celebrated. We celebrated (with cupcakes) an amazing group of workshop participants who had just wrapped up learning how to influence stakeholders in what happened to be Frontier Academy’s 100th open enrollment workshop. And then, we celebrated the power of gratitude.
Let me take a step back.
In any given week, our team hosts multiple workshops and travels around the world for our clients’ specific needs. We really believe every workshop is unique, important, and special. But we wanted to mark our 100th open enrollment workshop because these open workshops bring together professionals from countless walks of life to learn alongside one another. And we wanted to mark the occasion in some way that supported our company’s core values (which, incidentally, also happens to include cupcakes).
Soon it hit us: Why not celebrate in some way that also acknowledged what we had just taught the group?
In our Influencing Stakeholders workshop, we teach that practicing the habit of gratitude is a great way to become a more influential person. We start by sharing a 2011 TED Talk from Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think, Inc., called “The Happy Secret to Better Work,” which suggests that the more positive we are, the more successful we will be.
Then we make our case: If you want to be more influential, you’ve got to be a nicer, happier person. No one wants to work with a jerk, right? Of course not. People are more willing to collaborate with you—which gives you more room to influence—when you are have a positive presence. One way you can create this presence is by practicing gratitude. So we challenge our participants to show gratitude by getting more involved in their communities and noticing daily the small things in their lives they are grateful for.
Building on this idea, we decided to take this mini-challenge a step further by challenging everyone in the room to collectively complete 100 acts of gratitude. Here’s how it would work: The 11 participants, along with the two Frontier Academy facilitators, would spend the next seven days doing as many acts of gratitude as possible. If we reached 100, then Frontier Academy would donate $50 to one of three charities on behalf of each participant.
Here are a few ways this group of amazing workshop participants stepped up and made their communities, and themselves, better:
Letting someone cut in line at the post office—during the holiday rush, no less
Contacting one person a day to let them know the contribution they make to the team
Taking time to meditate
Donating to charity on behalf of another person
Every day, writing down three things to be grateful for
Buying gifts for a family in need during the holidays
Thanking a long-time mentor for their support
Showing gratitude to a colleague for the consistent feedback they provide
Providing public praise for great work
Reminding someone that they appreciate them for who they are
Together, we hit our goal: 100 collective acts of gratitude. Because of these participants, Frontier Academy was able to match donations and give back to our community, all while starting a new tradition in the process.
So in the spirit of continued gratitude, here’s what we’re really grateful for: the opportunity to help people everywhere build new and better habits every day.
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If you’re ready to start a conversation about how Frontier Academy’s workshops can help your team, here’s what you need to know:
> Your Guide // Grant, Facilitator for Frontier Academy
> Contact // [email protected]
