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A Mood-Boosting Half-Life
“You can’t change your boss, and you can’t change the culture in your organization,” explains Barbara Glanz, author of 180 Ways to Spread Contagious Enthusiasm. “All you can change are your interactions in your own sphere." That said, a few mere minutes of personable chitchat between colleagues, she says, can leave a mood-boosting half-life that lasts all day.
Above is an excerpt from an article I read at Toronto's Metro News website (metronews.ca), entitled 'Bringing Joy to Your Job' (link below). I think the idea of flashing a few more smiles and avoiding gossip on a regular basis is fantastic and is sorely needed in today's busy, fearful and over-stressed workplace. Starting the day with good news will also make it easier to smile and the effect you will have on others will help create a more positive workplace atmosphere.
I gave myself a challenge a while back to consciously wear a smile all day long, no matter what. Much of my work happens at live events where the constant pressure of producing excellent results is second only to the massive egos I have to deal with on a regular basis. Fortunately, the egos deflate somewhat when they are not challenged by jaded, veteran technicians.
The results of that day were proof positive that donning a pleasant demeanor has a direct effect on everybody around you which inevitably results in a less stressful experience with more efficient productivity; why waste time on criticism and blame when you can focus on excellence and harmony? No matter how you choose to operate, the same amount of time and energy are spent.
The only thing I would challenge from the stated article is the idea that you can't change the boss or the culture or your organization, all you can change are your interactions in your own sphere. But, if you do change the way you interact in your own sphere and encourage others to follow suit, both your boss and workplace culture very likely could change for the better.
Either way, articles such as these are great reminders of the importance of maintaining positive workplace attitudes.
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/work/article/747135--bringing-joy-to-your-job
When I use new operating systems, I often wonder why they weren't finished to begin with. I mean, updates and service packs seem never ending; why couldn't they just foresee all of the problems instead of just rushing things to market?
As much as I feel that the end user should be offered a better experience with new operating systems, I must also accept that not everything could have been predicted accurately with their introduction (Windows Vista excluded!). So, when a new business begins planning and implementing systems, they soon find out what is working and what is failing miserably because the planning has been transformed into the human side of things.
That being said, part of the planning should include alternate avenues when problems arise, because not everything that looks good on paper actually works when human emotions get involved.
On several occasions, I had been informed that the 'new system' that was being planned was going to be solid when implemented because the people who were in the front lines could 'take it or leave it' with an attitude of 'my way or the highway'. They even went as far as saying that the workers would have to work around the plan no matter what and not the reverse. One problem with that kind of attitude is that the planner in charge of the operation didn't want to hear the human side of things because everything was so neatly illustrated on paper and there was no way the plan could fail, but if the people doing the legwork aren't consulted, there is the risk of losing great people.
Getting to know the team members is essential in order for the plan to be more realistic. The team members will, no doubt, offer keen insights that will help iron out the potential wrinkles of a new plan. It would seem very egocentric of a planner not to do thorough team research and big egos have been known to cause system failure.
Bosses, Consultants & Planners:
1) Check with your team members about possible hiccups of a new system. The front line workers see all of the deficiencies that will cause any new system to be less effective than it should be.
2) Update attitudes by communicating every detail of a new system to make each team member feel as though they are a part of a brilliant plan rather than just a pawn.
3) Update your own attitude after you've investigated thoroughly. This will happen once you've heard from the front line workers.
4) Update the plan to reflect newly discovered problems and ask the workers for possible solutions rather than try to figure it out all by yourself.
5) Most importantly - update your methods before you start a any new plan.
