Celebrate the Small Stuff
In the midst of a pandemic, social unrest, and lagging economic news, do you find it hard to be positive? The news is depressing, your facing more challenges in your business and life is harder than just a matter of months ago.
Researchers clearly state, celebrating even the smallest victories every day can go a long way. It will improve your mental health and your physical stamina. A critical part to keeping your team motivated and inspired is to find the small things to celebrate even in the most challenging times.
Celebrating the small stuff will lead you to find a positive side to almost every situation. Here are some examples.
- Celebrate that your team is healthy and coming back to work
- Celebrate a customer service issue that has been resolved in a positive way
- Celebrate a new customer order or sale
- Celebrate employee milestones; work anniversaries etc.
How can you further instill a celebratory mindset in your business? Here are a few suggestions to apply.
- During a daily team meeting, encourage team members to share good news or WINS
- Ask team members to write down moments during their day they feel are worth celebrating in a “daily journal” that other employees can read
- Take note of those who actively participate and modeling the behavior you want
Ultimately, as the business owner and leader of your team it is important that you demonstrate a positive attitude yourself. So, remember to;
- Acknowledge the achievement and completion of goals
- Regularly share your own accomplishments or a little good news
- Recognize team work and collaboration that is contributing to your overall business success
Success.com demonstrates how keeping a positive outlook can actually improve your life and the lives of those around you.
- GRATITUDE: “Gratitude increases dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which are key neurotransmitters that give us feelings of contentment. If we are grateful more often, the happiness-producing neural pathways strengthen, just as exercise strengthens the body.”
- OPTIMISM: “In terms of the impact on overall health, one study found that “Optimism may significantly influence mental and physical well-being by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle….” Indeed, overall well-being seems to be influenced by optimism, which can be strengthened by gratitude.”
- EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: “Robert Emmons, Ph.D., a gratitude researcher, writes, “When you become truly aware of the value of your friends and family members, you are likely to treat them better, perhaps producing an ‘upward spiral,’ a sort of positive feedback loop, in which strong relationships give you something to be grateful for, and in turn fortifying those very same relationships.”
- RECEIVING GRATITUDE: “As positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., wrote in her book The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, “Grateful people are more likely to help others [because] you become aware of kind and caring acts and feel compelled to reciprocate.”
Encourage your team to exercise self-care, find ways to give back to their communities and reward themselves. Encouraging more positive self-talk boosts confidence and allowing employees a time to pay-it-forward goes a long way to improving morale and thus improving your customer service. If employees feel recognized and valued, they will more likely treat their colleagues and your customers with more care in return.
Staying positive in the moment is difficult. Remember habits grow over time and only if practiced. So, start small. Find one thing to be grateful for and celebrate it today. Then tomorrow find one more. Every day that you take time to find the things succeeding, you will encourage your team to do the same. Putting on those rose-colored glasses everyday will give you a renewed view of the world. See it for yourself and then share it with others.
If you need support in re-energizing, re-training and preparing you and/or your team to stay positive during these challenging times, reach out to Jeff Williams. Schedule a call with Jeff to help you get a head start in your team transformation.
