The Effect of Positivity in the Workplace
Everywhere you look these days, there seems to be a light at the end of our long dark tunnel. That sense of positivity creates a ripple effect. If you handle it right, you can use this time to introduce positivity in the workplace.
How we view our world has a far greater influence on how the world shapes us than what is happening in the world.
We can increase the rewards of our personal and professional life, simply by changing how we view them. A positive perspective changes what we look at the most.
Likewise, the way a business or an organization chooses to engage its employees can positively impact how employees enjoy their work and their colleagues.
Heart and Soul
Despite its service or product, the heart and soul of the company are the people who work there. More than the “cogs in a wheel,” the people create the energy that increases determination, creativity, and production. Smart leaders understand the value of positive psychology in the workplace. As a result, employees are happier, committed, and involved. They have “skin in the game.”
So how do you get from here to there? How do you begin to change the physiology of your team or the entire workplace?
Positivity in the Workplace Takes Time
It will take time.
I recommend introducing the concept through either a staff retreat or training sessions before starting your positive psychology campaign. Take incremental steps. Use the one percent rule or the Aggregation of Marginal Gains here. Introduce a new element once or twice a month. Give people time to adjust, adapt and create new habits.
Demonstrate Gratitude
A good first step is to show gratitude towards your team. We all desire to be acknowledged and recognized for our hard work and accomplishments. Your time to single out an employee for their positive contributions not only makes that employee feel appreciated but the action encourages them to treat their co-workers similarly. It becomes reciprocal. We all have an inherent desire to pay things forward!
A good approach to introducing a thankful attitude is the subtle approach. Begin by doing. Then to introduce the concept to the team, during a regular staff or departmental meeting, consider asking each employee ahead of time to name one positive thing about a co-worker and which they are grateful for.
Influence Meetings
Starting meetings with a positive acknowledgment is also a great way to set into motion a positive tone. When employee recognition and positive feedback introduce a discussion, what will follow is far more likely to align with the tone introduced at the beginning of the meeting.
Let’s face it we don’t like to stray too far from the “tone” of a conversation. So why not set up that tone to be a positive, uplifting one from the beginning and having it guide the course that follows?
Introduce Activities
Activities that help reduce stress, tension, and even boredom throughout the workweek are an excellent way to maintain a positive attitude in the workplace.
Encourage things like walking groups throughout the week where co-workers go out on walks together. Offer gym incentives for workers to register with a gym of their choice. If your budget allows, you may choose to engage psychologists to deliver monthly therapy sessions with employees who want the service. Whether as a group or individually, helping people with their mindset can have a fundamental influence on the well-being of a company’s culture.
You could introduce employees to meditation and mindfulness, offer weekly yoga instructors, or even trainers specializing in positive psychology.
At the end of the day, the activity matters less and is not as important as the organization showing a genuine interest in their employees’ well-being and positive attitudes. Positivity in the workplace will slowly change the way people work and how they feel about their place in the company.
Engage with Your Team
Invite your employees to the conversation by asking them what positive psychology means to them.
Drive examples of negative or cynical behavior home by demonstrating what is not positive nor productive. A simple way may be to create a code of conduct that outlines your company’s policies and expectations from employees when engaging with each other.
Practice Being Polite on Your Good and Bad Days
Polite leaders are liked and highly regarded. They are also trusted. (Who likes and trusts a rude leader?) Teams who trust their leaders are far more likely to perform at an elevated, positive level.
A leader with positivity and polite and respectful behavior will most likely have a team that possesses high morale and a positive attitude. This is because politeness is valued, and a polite leader is seen as a thoughtful and caring person who treats his team with dignity, respect, civility, and empathy.
Make people feel great and you will receive great things from them! It all comes down to reciprocity.
Embrace Perspectives Other Than Your Own
People will have different perspectives and need to believe their opinion matters.
Respecting and encouraging the individuality of every colleague creates a safe environment where individuals are comfortable being themselves.
It also creates a platform for individuals to share their ideas and insight freely.
Any business or organization that encourages positive psychology and makes it a priority stands to reap the rewards from their employees’ attitudes and a productive and engaged workforce.
