6 Ways to Inspire Positivity in the Workplace
The workplace can be a stressful place. Unmet deadlines, busy schedules, and constant demands on your time can leave you feeling like you are stuck in an endless cycle of work. It is easy to get bogged down by the perpetual workload and subsequent negativity that sometimes exists in the workplace, but it is essential to make an effort to turn things around. Here’s why:
Positivity leads to more ideas
It has been proven that positivity leads to more ideas. Positive people are more likely to generate more ideas than negative people as their minds aren't as occupied with stress. While not all ideas might lead to something, they can all help create a brainstorming environment where no idea is off-limits, and creativity is encouraged.
Positivity improves productivity
When you are feeling positive and motivated, you have the energy to accomplish multiple tasks quickly and efficiently — you are even willing to take on extra work! The same can't be said when you are feeling stressed or negative; you will most likely have a tough time focusing on even one task at hand. In fact, happiness has been shown to result in a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappiness decreased productivity by 10%.
Positivity increases collaboration and teamwork
A positive attitude supports less conflict in the workplace, which encourages employees to collaborate with each other — it is a win-win for everyone involved! We all know the expression “many hands make light work”, because the more people work together towards achieving a common goal, the faster they will reach it.
6 ways to inspire positivity in the workplace
Validate efforts and small victories
Encourage individualism and a self-starter attitude
Understand the pitfalls of toxic positivity
Promote mindfulness training at every level
Discourage judgement
Lighten the load and laugh
Validate Efforts and Small Victories
Whether you are a manager, team leader or individual contributor, inspiring positivity in the workplace is vital to success. While there are many ways to do this, it is important to remember that positivity can't be forced. Instead of trying to convince those around you to be happy and positive, create an environment that will foster these attitudes. The best way to do that is by appreciating the little wins.
Chances are, you have supported your team to set goals for the year to come. These goals may be very specific and concrete, or they may be more flexible. Either way, you need to make sure team members know what they are doing so that they can focus their energies appropriately. As the year progresses and they make progress toward their goals — even if they don't achieve them completely — take the time to validate their efforts and celebrate their accomplishments. Acknowledging their contributions not only shows you value their work but also boosts their confidence and encourages them to continue pushing themselves to do better.
Encourage Individualism and a Self-Starter Attitude
The secret to inspiring positivity in the workplace is to encourage individualism in those you work with. It is important to grant them the freedom needed to manage their responsibilities and meet established goals. That being said, striking a balance between micromanagement and not paying attention is key to managing an effective team. So, find what works for your organization and hire people who align with your vision. You might also want to consider establishing a peer-to-peer award system in which employees can recognize their coworkers for exceptional accomplishments big or small. This will also foster a sense of community within the workplace and can be a great starting point for building a resilient workplace.
Understand the Pitfalls of Toxic Positivity
Let's start with the basics. What exactly is toxic positivity?
Toxic positivity is when you are only allowed to feel and show positive emotions, like happiness and excitement. While that might sound like a good thing, it is actually not. We all experience a full range of emotions, and they shouldn't be judged as good or bad. It is important to let employees and colleagues feel however they feel, even if it is negative. Because when you try to push down the negative feelings, they build up and can cause bigger problems in the long run.
Having a positive attitude doesn’t mean you deny or repress your negative emotions. With toxic positivity, people can end up feeling like they are weak or wrong for experiencing any emotion but happiness. This leads them to hide their true feelings, which can often make everything worse.
Believe it or not, most people have come across toxic positivity at some point or another — in the workplace or otherwise. Let's say an employee is feeling overwhelmed at work because the team just took on a new project with an extremely tight deadline. They reach out to you to talk about it, but instead of offering support, you tell them that everything will be fine because negativity just isn't allowed. While this sounds contrived, it happens more often than you think. Likewise, maybe an employee is having a tough day for personal reasons and asks for some flexibility around their schedule so they can get back to being hundred percent at work. But instead of allowing them some time off, you tell them that everyone has bad days and that they need to carry on like it is business as usual.
Promote Mindfulness Training at Every Level
The idea behind mindfulness is not just to help individuals deal with stress; it is also about getting everyone on the same page when it comes to how they communicate with one another — and how they communicate with their customers and other external stakeholders. It seems easy enough, but this is something many companies struggle with. Employees don't always understand how their actions affect the company's brand or reputation.
The problem is that all organizations are made up of people, and it is the collective attitude of an organization that determines its personality. When we think about the most vibrant, successful organizations on earth, we think about teams that have cultivated a healthy, positive mindset. Everyone from the CEO to the office custodian can impact the collective mindset of your organization.
This is why it is important to empower employees at every level to practice mindfulness and focus on the present moment so that everyone stays focused on the task at hand. Not only can mindfulness training stimulate greater self-awareness, it stimulates greater awareness of their colleague’s needs. This in turn increases employee engagement and reduces turn-over by fostering a sense of meaning within their work.
Discourage Judgement
Mindfulness in the workplace also creates an awareness of how judgemental we are. This is internal judgement as well as judgement towards colleagues, managers, and the company as a whole. It is difficult to support greater positivity in the workplace if we are consistently judging each other. As a leader, this is where positive leader role modelling is important. Instead, encourage curiosity and inquisitiveness. Welcome questions. When we ask questions, we are able to learn more about how others see the world, which ultimately leads to greater understanding. This allows people to engage with ideas and each other in a more open-minded way and result in better collaboration.
This can transform into feelings of resentment, anger, and dissatisfaction with the overall quality of work-life, leading to productivity issues. And when that happens, the negative bias can kick in and make leadership difficult. Mindfulness training, along with honest and authentic conversations can help you avoid these pitfalls. It will also help your employees feel and channel their emotions in a more meaningful way while maintaining the overall morale of the workplace.
Lighten the Load and Laugh
Studies like this one at the Mayo Clinic have proven the power of a good belly laugh. In times of high stress, it is important to take a step back and recognize, that work is just work. This is not to minimize the organizations we work for but when appropriate, take a break and watch a short you tube video or share a laugh with a friend. Laughter is literally good for our body and soul.
Summary
It can be easy to forget that the people we work with aren't just colleagues, but people. As a leader, it is important for you to take the time to show your team you care about them on a personal level. Fostering a positive workplace environment is one of the best ways to show your care. And mindfulness is a vital part of the process.
Not sure where to begin? Check out our four-part workshop series for building better teams. You can also book a complimentary call with us to learn more about how to create more positivity in your workplace.