In the midst of a pandemic, social unrest, and lagging economic news, it might be hard to find the silver lining. The news is depressing, your business is more challenging and your life is harder than it was only a few months ago. The sense of helplessness and hopelessness can be overwhelming. It’s hard to find anything of a positive nature to cling too.
Researchers are clear, celebrating even the smallest victories every day can go a long way to improving your mental health and your physical stamina. As a business owner, finding small things to celebrate even in the most challenging of times, is critical to keep your team motivated and inspired.
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 that a customer service issue that has been resolved in a positive way
- Celebrate a new customer order or sale
- Celebrate employee milestones; work anniversaries, birthdays etc.
How can you further instil a “celebration” mindset in your business? Here are a few suggestions to implement.
- During a daily team huddle meeting, ask team members to share good news
- Ask team members to write down moments during their day they feel are celebration worthy in a “daily journal” that other employees can read
- Recognize those who actively participate and modelling the behaviour you want
Ultimately, as the business owners and leader of your team it’s important you demonstrate a positive attitude. So, remember to;
- Praise those that are doing exemplary work
- 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
- 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.”
Finally, encourage your team to exercise self-care, find ways to give back to their communities and reward themselves. Encouraging more positive self-talk improves confidence and allowing employees a time to pay-it-forward goes along way to improving morale and thus impacting your customer service. If employees feel recognized, valued and cared for, they are more likely to treat their co-workers and your customers with more care in return.
Staying positive in the moment is hard. 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 you take time to find what’s going right, will encourage your team to do the same. Slipping on the rose-coloured glasses everyday will give a renewed view of the world. See it for yourself and then share it with others.
