I AM RUBBER, YOU ARE GLUE. WHAT BOUNCES OFF ME, STICKS TO YOU!Can you walk into work and immediately know whether it is going to be a good day or a bad day, solely based on the mood your boss is in? If I walk in and can hear laughter from the backdoor, I know am in for a great day. However, if I walk by the treatment area and am greeted by grumbling or even a simple "nothing"...no "good morning", no "hi", no "how was your weekend"...I'm know in for a long day.
I can guarantee your team feels the same way about you! If you blaze past them upon arrival to set down your things and get organized for the day, you have just missed an opportunity to set the tone for the entire day. Any of you who have taken advantage of the disc profile know the kind of affect something as simple as a "good morning"--or lack of--can have on a staff member (Disc profile can be an important tool in discovering why some employees react certain ways to certain scenarios and communication styles).
I can vividly remember one of my first months as a manager when a team member came following me into my office with glassy eyes. When asked what was wrong, she burst into tears and said "I don't think the doctor likes me. In fact, I think she hates me!" I asked what would ever make her thing such a thing and I was told "she said good morning to everyone else when they walked in and she didn't say anything to me!"
Morale of the story: Don't brush off something as simple as a "good morning" and never forget that your attitude from the second you walk in the door has the power to create a positive culture...or a negative one.
AND GUESS WHAT? That negative mood will rub off of you and onto your staff...and then onto the clients...
"Smile. Have you ever noticed how easily puppies make human friends? Yet all they do is wag their tails and fall over." ~Walter Anderson, The Confidence Course, 1997
Totally agree. Work environment and team morale defines my feelings toward my job. For me, if I can't enjoy myself and have FUN at work WHILE WORKING (yes, it IS possible), then I will not like my job. Period. If I don't like my job, guess which direction that sends my work ethic? Down the pooper. And work ethic is inversely proportional to apathy. What employer/manager wants a bunch of apathetic employees with a deficit in motivation? Also, I think this response can be subconscious, so don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’ll be a hard worker no matter what. Emotional stressors, like a strained work environment, can really wear you down before you even realize it. Great post, Miss Christen! Looking forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jyl! I agree. There are many factors that lead to a pleasant work environment and I hope to touch on more of them in future posts. Of course there will be stressful days and other things that demotivate, but my hope is that together, we can discover how to make the best out of each day, reduce turnover, increase morale AND have a good time while doing it :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight!! You rock.