4 PATHS TO WORKPLACE OPTIMISM

1.YOU START

Start with yourself. If you’re struggling being optimistic, others will too. You can’t give what you don’t have. How you treat yourself will be how you automatically treat others. :)

Morning: “I will notice what’s right today.”

Afternoon: Write a note to one person who did something well.

Night: Note a positive thing that happened, or a success you had.

The three above seem so simple - how can they work? P.S. If you are not doing them consistently now, why not give it a try.

2. SET LANGUAGE BEST PRACTICES

a. Switch statements from passive to active. Don’t accept people saying: “It’s hot here” or “HR is slow” (passive, ineffectual, damaging).

Require an active solution. “Turn down the heat.” “Let’s call up HR and work this out.”

b. Change

“we have to” ……. to ………. “we get to”

“we need to” ……. to ………. “we want to”

“we can’t” ……. to ……….  “what if we could?"

3. A REWARD SYSTEM THAT WORKS

Save money. An Immediate - Unpredicted - Meaningful and Sincere thank you is worth more than a plaque. Say as often as you can.

4. A ZERO-EXCUSES POLICY

This is a fast and easy way to dig up excuses people have so you can dispel them.

  • Have people list three things “we could do that would make a huge impact, that we are now not doing.”

  • Then ask them to write down “why not?” Why are you not doing them?

    There are your excuses right there.