Lately I’ve been more aware of the various stresses and worries that lurk just below the surface of many of my colleagues, clients and friends. Whether it is the stresses of work, illnesses of loved ones or personal health challenges, many of the people around you are likely facing similar concerns and you can make a positive difference to them.
In addition to sending you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings and wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016, let’s look at how we could take some popular holiday themes and apply them to the workplace. Using the theme of Advent, here are some ways to bring more Joy, Peace, Hope and Love to your workplace in 2016.
Joy – Bring more Joy to your workplace by deciding to be positive and by offering positive feedback and thanks for the contributions of others. Remember that even on a bad day, most things are still going right and even though it’s instinct to focus on the 3% that are problems, remember to acknowledge the 97% that is going well. Many of your colleagues, employees and even your boss need some encouragement to build confidence and create a more positive work environment.
Peace – A majority of workplace conflicts (and most personal conflicts) can be traced to ignorance: either the other person doesn’t understand our perspective or we don’t understand theirs – or most likely a combination of the two. Therefore, you should strive to educate and be educated. Seek first to understand the other person’s perspective and then to clarify and explain your perspective. Build on areas of common interest. By remaining constructive yourself, and avoiding defensiveness you can position yourself as Peace maker.
Hope – Psychologists have said that hopelessness is perhaps the worst emotional state people can be in. At work, this can happen when your industry is in a downturn, or if business is slow, or on the flip side, rapid growth and change are creating a crushing workload that doesn’t seem to have any relief in sight. Therefore, as a leader it is important to instill Hope by discussing realistic outcomes, possible alternatives and that even in worst case scenarios, brighter days will be ahead.
Love – It’s easy under the pressures of life and work to become detached and disengaged. Decide to care more about your work, your customers and your coworkers. Let your Love for what you do, who you do it for and who you do it with be a positive influence on others. Enthusiasm is contagious and makes a great antidote for cynicism and sarcasm.
What’s New in the Year Ahead
- We’ve got a number of Front Line Leadership Training workshops available along with onsite sessions, webinars and the extensive online video library.
- Attend the Decoding the Mysteries of Managing Millennials workshop in Mississauga in January.
- The Canada-Ontario Job Grant will receive new funding in April 2016 so now is a great time to plan training so your grant request can go in early.
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Upcoming Public Workshops in Front Line Leadership
You can enrol your front line supervisors, team leaders and managers in our two-day Front Line Leadership program being held in Toronto, Canada, London, Canada, Windsor, Canada, Kitchener/Waterloo, Canada, Detroit, USA and Chicago, USA.
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