What is Gratitude Rocks?
Gratitude Rocks! provides a safe space to increase vulnerability and build trust.
Often, teams are laser focused on driving results and do not create and hold space to connect as a team. There is always a need to reinforce the connective tissue of your team to drive effectiveness and enhance performance. Fundamentally, cohesive and connected teams have “vulnerability-based trust.” Enter Gratitude Rocks!
Gratitude Rocks! provides a safe space to increase vulnerability and build trust.
I coach small groups of 5-10 people both in person and virtually. I create a safe place and share tools around breathwork and mindfulness. Together we experience the power of gratitude. Each person holds the gratitude rock and is asked to think of something they are grateful for in that moment. This activity makes us present, encourages vulnerability and helps us shift to a positive mindset. Each person also chooses another rock with a different unique word and then is asked to share what comes up for them. How does this make them feel? What does it make them think about? From this simple practice individuals share courageously and we are often launched into amazing and memorable conversations. Ultimately, the group feels more connected and in community with their teammates/colleagues/friends.
The roots of GR!
Holding a “rock” with either gratitude or another unique word somehow beautifully provides access to personal thoughts and emotions. This simple practice around gratitude and sharing has a long lasting impact.
Gratitude Rocks! has its roots at our family’s kitchen table. Almost 10 years ago, my family was vacationing in Maine and visited a charming store that had a bowl full of small, ceramic pinch pots that we called stones. Now I call them “rocks” as the double meaning of Gratitude Rocks! is irresistible. Each rock had a different word on it with a slightly different feel and different color/style font for the word. I grabbed the gratitude rock first and said we will all do gratitude so this is our 5th rock – in addition each of us can choose our own personal rock.
At dinners we would pick out the Gratitude rock and then turn the other rocks upside down. Each one of us would pick a rock and keep it to ourselves. When it was our turn we would pick up the Gratitude rock and each share something we were grateful for and then share something around our personal rock (the rock that we chose or some would say the rock that chose us that day)!
As we added to our collection of rocks more people were able to join in. It has been beautiful to watch the growth and impact of our small family tradition. Now, when friends and family come over they ask to do Gratitude Rocks!
the benefits of Gr!
Gratitude Rocks! serves as a check in for all of us. How are we as human beings – versus human doings? Can we check in with each other on the “being” part?
In individual coaching sessions we often start with Gratitude Rocks! to help us drop into the collaboration, be present and kick off from a place of spaciousness, versus racing straight into the work from a place of constriction and high stress.
In team meetings, Gratitude Rocks! is the modern take on an icebreaker. It takes that one question to a whole new level. Gratitude Rocks! is used at leadership/team offsites and quarterly meetings to drive connection and reinforce the importance of the practice of gratitude. These leaders can then bring this back to their teams as well. As Aristotle said, “we do indeed become what we practice.” The more we practice gratitude the more grateful we become and that flows into all aspects of our lives. Reach out to bring Gratitude Rocks! to your team/organization.
