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Positivity in the workplace

Emotional Intelligence, Positive Psychology / My Holland

We can all learn a lot from positivity and positive thinking. Psychologist @Barbara Fredrickson believes it is the key to unlocking our potential in the workplace, as well as other parts of our lives. In her book Positivity, she explained the ten most common positive emotions and how to focus on them to live life to the full. These emotions are: love, serenity, forgiveness, awe, joy, interest, hope, pride, amusement and inspiration. She explains how focusing on these positive emotions can help us build skillsfor a happier and healthier life, in every aspect. In fact, she believes positivity is more important than happiness, or is at least the key to it. She believes itrelieves symptoms of stress and depression, boosts good health, broadens the mind and helps build skills and success. This theory can be applied successfully to the workplace. While there may be testing times at work such as feuds with a boss or colleague, feeling overworked or undervalued and general frustration, there is also equal potential to focus on and cultivate positivity. Sometimes these emotions may be hidden and feel harder to recognise and develop. We can all do more to help cultivate our own positivity and flourish through getting better quality sleep, regular exercise, staying social connected, meditating and reducing caffeine. We are all capable of tapping in to our own positivity. Doing so can help us see new possibilities, recover from setbacks and be more successful. What’s more, these emotions can act as a ripple effect which is beneficial in a work environment. Work occupies a large chunk of time in a person’s life and paying attention to positive emotions can combat negativity in the workplace. If you feel stressed or negative at work, the chances are you will bring this home and it can impact negatively on home life and relationships as well. A Harvard Business Review article described how growing research confirms that employment stress can cross over and impair the wellbeing of home life and family members. Fredrickson, a positive psychology pioneer, says that harnessing positivity can transform the way we live and lead richer lives. One of her theories is the ‘broaden and build’ theory. This explains that even though a positive emotion can last for just a short moment, it can have lasting benefits in terms of social bonding and traits and helps human growth and development. For this reason, it is an asset to a workplace to have somebody who is able to take the time to cultivate their positive thinking and mental state.

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Creative leadership… why?

Emotional Intelligence, Engagement, Leadership, Productivity, Wellbeing / My Holland

The 7 Key Principles Of Creative Leadership Whether you’re the CEO of a huge business organization, a team leader or a division manager of such a company, or owner of a small business outfit, creative leadership is important. It’s what leads to innovation. Furthermore, from concept to idea execution, a great deal of creativity is required. Here are 7 of its key principles: “It ain’t your creativity, baby! It’s about your group’s creativity.” : It’s true. Creative leadership has little to do with your own personal creativity and a whole lot to do with your team’s creativity. It’s a case of simple math. If it was only about your creativity, why should you need a whole team? You’ve got to tap the cumulative creativity of your group. This could be 6 to 60 and the numbers will surely give you better results. You don’t need to be a creative genius, but, you’ve got to have an understanding of creativity : If you’re exceptionally creative, great! It’ll set a terrific example to your team members. But to be a good creative leader, it’s not necessary to be a creative person. Don’t feel the need to pretend that you are. What is critical though is that you understand the creative process so you can facilitate it for your people. If you want to, you can talk loudly about your skills as a facilitator of creativity. This is, in the end, a lot more important in a creative leader. Get to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team: You’ll need to do this to maximize your effectiveness. Some of your guys may be incredible with ideas but lousy on execution. Others may exactly be the opposite. Some may do wonders solving problems on their own. Others have got to have teammates to add 2+2! Diversity: If teams have not been thrust upon you by circumstance and you are still in the stage of forming one, go for diversity. Choose diversity of experience, educational background, sex, culture, age, knowledge. If there are people you don’t like but are reputed to bring in results, get them too. Think that creativity is built on diversity. A more extensive range of backgrounds, culture and knowledge leads to a wider array of thinking and therefore greater creativity. It’s ok to make mistakes: If people don’t fail, they’ll never achieve great success. In the creativity and innovation fields it’s ok to make mistakes. As a creative leader, you know better. Encourage your guys to try, fail early in the game and try again. Share the failures with the rest of the team so everybody learns from them. You’ve got to trust your guys: Set clear goals. Give them a budget and tools and let go. Let them work out their own approaches towards achieving their goals. They’ll never learn by doing what they’re told. They learn by researching, trying, making mistakes and trying once more. You’ve got to be the champion of your team’s ideas. Surely, your creative team will come up with many ideas. As the leader of the band, you need to champion those ideas. especially, when they offer values to your company or your customers. When you do this, you make it more likely that the ideas could be realized and it’ll demonstrate to your team that you believe in their ideas and that you’re a creativity champion. A creative leader has an open mind. Start off by giving these principles some thought and apply them as quickly as you can.

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Are You Working in a Toxic Environment? How Can You Survive It?

Emotional Intelligence / My Holland

Before you go jumping into conclusions, let’s make it clear that we’re not talking of some sinister laboratory on a remote island of Dr. No where poisonous gas seeps through the room vents so you’d be rendered unconscious and be lobotomized. No! We’re talking of what HR management experts refer to as a hostile working environment defined as one, where there is discrimination and unpleasant, unwelcome conduct. This becomes pervasive and grievous that it alters a worker’s conditions of employment and creates an abusive work surroundings. So, is your workplace toxic? Questions To Ask, To Give You An Idea Of What A Toxic Workplace Is : Are you doing the work of two or more people but getting a one-person paycheck? Do you hate going to work everyday ? (And not because your wife/husband works for the same company?) Does nobody appreciate you and your work.? Is there somebody there yelling at you or your co workers (quit kidding around with your wife!) Have you sought some help but nothing happened? Have you been asked to do some lying for someone? Have you been asked to make false entries into official reports? Have you been a victim of sexual harassment? Has there been discrimination against you because of gender, age, race, religion or sexual preference? Does violence happen in your workplace or has anyone been threatened or assaulted? Having a YES answer to just one of these questions says, you’re working in a toxic environment. This happens because the big guys in positions of authority run the company through abuse of power, giant egos, distrust, inequality, unfairness, greed, ruthless ambition, pressure and lack of respect for one’s fellowman. What To Do Working in a place like this, you’ll have to be strong and assertive. You’ve got to use tried and tested communication techniques and refer to laws and guidelines to transform a toxic office. If these and prayers don’t work, heck, find yourself a healthy company that’s founded on truth, respect and open communications. Take our word for it. There are many of them around in the business district. But, before you give-up, know and appreciate that, obviously, no workplace is perfect. There are things you can do though, as an individual to alter the negative work surroundings and make the day run smoother and more productively for you and the rest of the guys. Do What’s In Your Power To Do Don’t mope around and sulk for things you are powerless to do. Look around and find out what in fact, you can do and do it! Take it upon yourself to discover what sort of a working environment might best support you in the job you do. Forget the HR department! They’ve got lots of other things to do. So now get working on changing your work surroundings. Can’t do? Look at it this way. If you believe in “Feng Shui” (ancient Chinese art of living in harmony with the elements) and all it’ll take is to reposition your desk and your chair so that your area attracts success and career opportunities, why not?. Use More Of Your Strengths Pull back and take some time to figure out things that really matter to you. Do you enjoy working in a team or individually? Are you good at starting projects or finishing them? The perfect job for you should be a good fit for how you enjoy working. Consider how your skills, strengths and career objectives fit with the job’s requirements. If they do, great. If not, if there is little or no skill match and the job is stressing you out … then you’ll have to make a big decision. Good luck!

Are You Working in a Toxic Environment? How Can You Survive It? Read More »

Positivity in the workplace

Creative leadership… why?

Are You Working in a Toxic Environment? How Can You Survive It?

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