S1 E17: The Way We Say Thanks

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April shared an article called “Stop Making Gratitude All About You“, and asked for my thoughts on how it relates to nonprofit communications. We talk about:

• other-focused gratitude (emphasizing the goodness and motivations of the giver) as opposed to self-focused gratitude (emphasizing on how the recipient benefitted)
• how nonprofits can use other-focused gratitude to strengthen relationships with donors, volunteers and colleagues
• how zooming in and out, in space and time, can help us keep things in perspective: staying mission-focused, picking our battles, and making sure we take good enough care of ourselves
• stories and lessons from a visit with my 98-year-old grandma this week!

Notes and Links

Selfie with my grandma during our visit in August 2016

“Stop Making Gratitude All About You“, by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Harvard Business Review, June 29, 2016

“Why Gratitude Works“, episode of the Happiness Matters podcast with Rona Renner R.N. and Christine Carter Ph.D., November 2011

“Gratitude Makes the World Better“, an old blog post by me, November 21, 2011