As I mentioned in my last blog post, true leaders will recognize the benefits to having a consistency of these positive behaviors in the workplace, and work to find ways to create that type of positive working atmosphere. Give your employees the opportunity to experience these emotions while working for you. They will be appreciative and you will benefit as well from the improved results.
Here are six more positive emotions you will want prevalent in your workplace and the activities that surveyed results say trigger these emotions.
Happy
What makes people happy is positive relationships. Whether they are with friends, coworkers or family, people describe happy most often when they have relationships that are caring, supportive and loving.
How are you creating a workplace that creates happiness? What kind of relationships do employees have with each other? What type of management style do you create that people feel happy when working under your leadership? Do I believe you need to create playground work environments or hold hands and sing “We are the World” before every work day for people to be happy? Obviously not. But caring and supportive working relationships between employees and between staff and management is what makes a unified happy workforce.
Relaxed
Relaxed is a sensation I hear too frequently people have forgotten how to feel in this whirlwind pace we live in. Responses to what event elicits being relaxed overwhelming indicated people think of being at the beach. The sun, the surf and getting away to this destination are synonymous with relaxation.
I’m sure you are thinking, of course everyone enjoys going to the beach, but how can I incorporate that into my workplace. In fact, you may be thinking do I want that emotion in the workplace? Many organizations offer incentive trips and the majority of those trips involve some type of destination with sun and surf involved. What type of incentives are you offering? Do you have a travel agency as a perk to help people book relaxing vacations? Employees who truly get a time of relaxation are better prepared to handle the demands of a work day than those employees running a ragged edge of emotion and mental capacity. Burn out used to be something to be worried about years ago. Today, it seems to be the norm. Help your staff utilize their vacation time for their greatest benefit. Help them to relax.
Laughter
This is an emotion people say they do not have enough of in their lives. It is also an emotion most often shared with friends. Contrary to popular managerial belief, laughter in the workplace does not mean lack of productivity. Laughter at work is more of an indication employees are working with friends and people they enjoy spending time with. If laughter is seldom heard in the hallways of your organization, it would be wise to figure out what or who is tightening the lid down on this emotion. In the speaking business we have a saying; you only need to be funny if you want to get paid. Levity leads to learning. Shouldn’t leaders be held to the same standards? When people are laughing, they are listening and when they are listening, they are learning.
Thrilled
The survey respondents indicated that being thrilled comes from adventures and recognition. Adventures can be riding a new ride at a theme park, or visiting a location a person has never been to before, or even participating in a new project in a new way. Adventure awakens the senses and gives people a thrill when experiencing the new and different most frequently of their choosing.
People also responded they felt thrilled when they received recognition for doing something well from someone they respect. How are you consistently recognizing your staff for doing a great job? How often do you use your words to thrill your employees? How many times are you offering your employees a chance for adventure to try new directions, new projects, work with new clients? A thrilled workforce is an alive workforce ready to perform.
Satisfaction
When do people most experience the emotion of satisfaction? Satisfaction follows after an accomplishment. There is a sense of satisfaction people experience from something as simple as planting the flower bed in the springtime to as demanding as completing the Ironman triathlon. People expressed how important it is to feel satisfaction in all areas of their lives.
Jobs left unfinished, or working on tasks that have no definable conclusion prevents satisfaction from being fully experienced. As leaders, it is important to set accomplishment targets so when those targets are reached there can be a celebration and a sense of satisfaction for all involved. At the conclusion of constructing a new office building a ribbon cutting says this job has been completed, at the end of winning the World Series, there is a champagne celebration because those who have achieved great accomplishment want to celebrate great satisfaction. How do you encourage your employees to feel that type of satisfaction? When was the last time you had a champagne celebration akin to a locker room following a victorious World Series? Maybe it’s time.
Appreciation
Our survey indicates people experience appreciation when reveling in the accomplishments and skills of others. For example, few of can even attempt some of the amazing performances we witness in the Olympics as we watch with great appreciation. I know about all I could do on a halfpipe is ride a sled down the middle of it! We are surrounded by talent and skill we admire and appreciate.
Today appreciation is being replaced with criticism all too frequently. We are quick to point out the flaws without appreciating the entire winning performance. In your workplace do your employees recognize and appreciate the best workers, or do they scorn them for “making the rest of us look bad.” Leaders can add more appreciation to the work culture be focusing more on the accomplishments and great performances within the workplace as opposed to highlighting the negative.
These twelve emotions people enjoy experiencing can be brought to the workplace by the right leadership which will not only make for a more rewarding work environment for the staff, but the benefits for the employer will give everyone a better feeling about the positive progress. How do you plan on building up these emotions?
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