I don’t know about you, but I find myself complaining a lot more than I used to. Whether it’s coming across an idiotic comment on social media, an inconsiderate driver, or just reading the daily headlines, it seems there’s much in this world to be negative about.
I’m not normally such a Grumpy Gus. I’m usually cheerful and optimistic. But I’ve found that pessimism and negativity are insidious things — like a slow-growing cancer, you don’t notice how much it’s eroded your mental health until it’s metastasized into a low-grade misery.
Obviously, this can cause irreparable damage in the workplace, eroding staff morale. When you see this happening, there are six things you can do immediately to correct course:
1. Celebrate success. Publicly recognize what your team is doing right and how their efforts contributed to the larger goal.
2. Look for solutions. When something goes wrong, don’t focus on placing the blame, focus on finding a solution.
3. Keep your eyes on the prize. Remind yourself and your team of long-term goals. Often, short-term setbacks can be more easily overcome when viewed through the lens of a larger goal.
4. Be on guard against needless negativity. Attitudes are contagious. This doesn’t mean you can put a moratorium on bad moods, but keeping your pulse on how your team views you, the facility and each other is important.
5. Listen and learn. Be available to your staff and open to feedback, especially if it’s negative. How you react sets an example for your team.
6. Smile. This suggestion might have some scratching their heads in its simplicity, but it’s actually a highly effective nonverbal way to convey optimism. In fact, research has shown that the very act of smiling can make you feel good (rather than smiling being a result of feeling good). And smiling is contagious — when you smile at someone, they usually smile back, and it activates their brain’s circuitry for happiness.
Who can remain a pessimist when our facilities bring such happiness and joy to our patrons?
Certainly not I!
