In last week's article about The Half-Crazy, Uber-Positivity Generator, I promised to share the top five causes of negativity at work this week. So here you go. Ready?
Prior to conducting our Creating a Positive Charge Workshop, we survey participants with a two question survey: 1. What causes negativity in your workplace? 2. What creates positivity in your workplace?
I must present this disclaimer first: Although I play the part of a mad scientist at times, this is far from a scientific study. That said, I have surveyed nearly 1000 people so far and the results each time end up being amazingly similar. I typically get a list of 20-30 causes of negativity in most workplaces. I've hand-selected the top five that have appeared in almost every list (in no particular order, fyi).
- Poor communication
- Gossip
- Wrong assumptions
- Not feeling valued/lack of respect
- Too much to do, too little time
There's a million things you can do with this information, but there's really only one thing you can do that will truly make a difference.
Take responsibility.
Whether you like it or not, you're probably contributing to most of these items. Time to own up to it.
Is poor communication always the other guy's fault? Um, nope. Could you ask more questions, gain more clarity, and provide more feedback? Um, yep.
Do you ever gossip? Nobody ever admits to it, by the way. Do you ever complain about people when they're not around? Do you ever just stand by while someone else gossips? Makes you guilty, too, yes?
Do you ever make a wrong assumption? This is also known as "shoulding" on people. As in, "Well they should have finished the project without being told." Or, "They should use more common sense." Or, "You should have told me." Been there, done that. Many times. Today. Wrong assumptions and poor communication are roommates. Same rules apply to both.
Ever feel like you're not valued? HOW DO YOU KNOW? Do you just have a feeling you're not valued or did somebody come right out and tell you that you're worthless? Oh, it's just a feeling? Thought so. Maybe you should have a conversation about that with somebody. You might be very surprised at what you hear. Oh, and don't you dare think "They should just tell me" or I will make you re-write the previous paragraph one thousand times with your non-dominant hand using the stub of a broken crayon.
Too much to do, too little time? Really? Last time I looked, most people are pretty lame at time management. We have too much to do, yet we find time for Facebook, YouTube, and cigarettes during our workday. Hmmmmm.
Now, look at that list again. Is it possible that you have much more control over the top five negative causes of negativity at work than you originally thought?
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment below & join the conversation!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Half-Crazy, Uber-Positivity Generator
My son, Hunter, is ten years old. Everyone says he looks just like me. I'll leave it up to you to determine if that is an asset or a liability. Another thing we have in common is that we both love to be on stage.
On a recent trip to COSI, the world famous hands-on science center in Columbus, OH, Hunter experienced one of the happiest days of his young life. This day ranks up there with Halloween and Christmas for him because he was chosen. You know how magicians, clowns, and mad scientists always ask for volunteers and how every kid in the audience jumps up and down, hand in the air, silently screaming "pick me, pick ME!"? Well, this day they picked Hunter.
At COSI, they have this very science-fiction looking piece of equipment called an electrostatic generator. They use it to demonstrate the properties of static electricity in a safe and (relatively) harmless way -- if you consider the occasional gigantic electric shock harmless.
Without getting into all the science of the thing, when they turn it on it basically sucks out all of the negatively charged electrons and sends them into the ground. So this giant metal object is left with nothing but protons...and an extremely positive charge.
The science lesson doesn't stop there. If you happen to be standing next to the electrostatic generator, it starts drawing the negative electrons out of you, too. And if you're touching it, you also become extremely positively charged. When you're positively charged like that, your hair stands straight up and everyone -- including the star of the demonstration (Hunter in this case) -- gets a big kick out of it.
After the show, I asked Hunter, "How was it, being up there on stage with your hair standing straight up?"
I honestly expected him to say it was embarrassing or stupid (he's ten, remember). Instead, he grinned from ear to ear and said, "It...was...so...much...FUN!"
This is hands-down the best example of positivity I've ever seen. When you work to eliminate the negativity in you and around you, you become an "Uber-Positivity Generator"! And the more you do it, the more powerful and positive you become. So powerful, in fact, that you positively charge everyone you come in contact with.
Think about it. You probably know somebody like that don't you? I'm talking about those people who are so uber-positively charged that you actually think they may be half-crazy. But when they walk in a room, their positivity attracts everyone to them (including you). Their mere presence changes, well, everything.
Now think about this. How many of those people do you know? Most of us can count the crazy positive people we know on one hand. However, if you were to count the negative people in your life that drag you down, you'd need at least both hands and maybe all of your toes, too.
Positive people propel a company forward. Negative people pull you backwards like a tractor-beam from Star Wars (notice, it's always the bad guys who use those).
Here's a little secret you may not know. Please make sure you whisper in your head when you read this next part: your company already has enough negative people.
You have a chance right here right now to become an Uber-Positivity Generator. You can be an extremely powerful, positive force in your company...if you choose to be.
In next week's newsletter, I will share with you the top five ways to eliminate negativity in yourself and your workplace. Until then, start noticing how you're affecting others. Do people deflate around you or do they light up? Are your conversations full of possibility or pessimism? Creativity or criticism?
Watch out! When we're done with this conversation, you may just become one of those half-crazy, uber-positive people you've secretly always wanted to be.
P.S. I'm curious to know what causes negativity in your workplace. Reply to this post or go to the blog at www.sparknewthinking.com and leave a comment after the article.
On a recent trip to COSI, the world famous hands-on science center in Columbus, OH, Hunter experienced one of the happiest days of his young life. This day ranks up there with Halloween and Christmas for him because he was chosen. You know how magicians, clowns, and mad scientists always ask for volunteers and how every kid in the audience jumps up and down, hand in the air, silently screaming "pick me, pick ME!"? Well, this day they picked Hunter.
At COSI, they have this very science-fiction looking piece of equipment called an electrostatic generator. They use it to demonstrate the properties of static electricity in a safe and (relatively) harmless way -- if you consider the occasional gigantic electric shock harmless.
Without getting into all the science of the thing, when they turn it on it basically sucks out all of the negatively charged electrons and sends them into the ground. So this giant metal object is left with nothing but protons...and an extremely positive charge.
The science lesson doesn't stop there. If you happen to be standing next to the electrostatic generator, it starts drawing the negative electrons out of you, too. And if you're touching it, you also become extremely positively charged. When you're positively charged like that, your hair stands straight up and everyone -- including the star of the demonstration (Hunter in this case) -- gets a big kick out of it.
After the show, I asked Hunter, "How was it, being up there on stage with your hair standing straight up?"
I honestly expected him to say it was embarrassing or stupid (he's ten, remember). Instead, he grinned from ear to ear and said, "It...was...so...much...FUN!"
This is hands-down the best example of positivity I've ever seen. When you work to eliminate the negativity in you and around you, you become an "Uber-Positivity Generator"! And the more you do it, the more powerful and positive you become. So powerful, in fact, that you positively charge everyone you come in contact with.
Think about it. You probably know somebody like that don't you? I'm talking about those people who are so uber-positively charged that you actually think they may be half-crazy. But when they walk in a room, their positivity attracts everyone to them (including you). Their mere presence changes, well, everything.
Now think about this. How many of those people do you know? Most of us can count the crazy positive people we know on one hand. However, if you were to count the negative people in your life that drag you down, you'd need at least both hands and maybe all of your toes, too.
Positive people propel a company forward. Negative people pull you backwards like a tractor-beam from Star Wars (notice, it's always the bad guys who use those).
Here's a little secret you may not know. Please make sure you whisper in your head when you read this next part: your company already has enough negative people.
You have a chance right here right now to become an Uber-Positivity Generator. You can be an extremely powerful, positive force in your company...if you choose to be.
In next week's newsletter, I will share with you the top five ways to eliminate negativity in yourself and your workplace. Until then, start noticing how you're affecting others. Do people deflate around you or do they light up? Are your conversations full of possibility or pessimism? Creativity or criticism?
Watch out! When we're done with this conversation, you may just become one of those half-crazy, uber-positive people you've secretly always wanted to be.
P.S. I'm curious to know what causes negativity in your workplace. Reply to this post or go to the blog at www.sparknewthinking.com and leave a comment after the article.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What Do You Need To BE This Year?
Ahh, January. The month we get all fired up about everything we're going to do in the coming year. We hope, we dream, we make lists, we sketch ideas on napkins. We resolve, we commit, we join. We talk, we boast, we share on Facebook.
And then we actually DO very little.
"Not this year," we tell ourselves, "THIS year will be the year I reach my goals, keep my resolutions, and lose that last 20 lbs."
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Sorry, did I write that out loud?
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, well, then January should be called National Insanity Month. I think I'll write Obama to see if he'll make it official.
If you've got a list of resolutions, goals, or to-dos for the coming year, that's ok. In fact, it's good. Having those things is way better than not having those things. But they are only 1/3 of the "secret formula" for succeeding.
One of the missing ingredients for many people is a plan. We set goals, but we fail to create the plan that will transport us from point A to point B. This is the "how" part. If you want to double your salary this year, how are you going to do that? What steps will you take to earn or produce more income? Once you identify those steps, ta-da! You've got a plan. You don't need a master's degree in strategic planning to create a plan to reach your personal goals. All you need is an hour and a piece of paper. Or that really cool iPad you got for Christmas.
The third, and most supremely powerful ingredient, is missed by almost everyone. Many people set goals, many people make solid, achievable plans, and very few people achieve even a fraction of what they set out to do each year. So what's missing?
Once you've got your goals and your plans, you've got to really dig and discover what you need to BE to make those things happen.
Running a full marathon (as opposed to one of those wimpy half-marathons) is one of the easiest goals to set and plan. In fact, you can go online and download a training plan from a thousand different websites right now. So aside from juggling your schedule a bit to fit the training in -- oh, and the actual running part -- running a full marathon should be one of the easiest goals to achieve. But it's not, is it?
Running a marathon requires you to do more than set the goal and plan for the goal. It requires you to BE things you've never been before.
Running a marathon requires you to BE:
- Committed. As in, committed to training above almost everything else in your personal life, including social activities, television, and even family time.
- Healthy. As in, healthier than you've ever been. That means eating better and getting more sleep.
- Focused. As in, don't even think about achieving a whole lot else while you're in marathon mode.
- Crazy. As in, you don't care what your out of shape friends think about your loony plans to conquer 26.2 miles of asphalt.
There are probably other things you need to BE to run a marathon, but you get the point. Can you see how critical this component of BEING is?
You will never achieve your goals unless you also discover and become what you need to BE to reach those goals. By the way, this works for teams and organizations as well as individuals. For a team to reach a goal, it also must figure out the state of being required to propel iself toward the finish line.
Now, dig your goals out and give some serious thought to what you will need to BE to make this year an amazing year for you, your team, or your entire organization. Work on you and what you need to BE first, and I promise you, the rest will come so much easier and faster that it might just freak you out a bit.
I will warn you, though, that committing to a new way of being will mean you have to let go of all the excuses that you created by your old way of being. That's easier said than done because those old excuses are sooooooo comfortable. For a good dose of inspiration, watch this Nike commercial featuring someone who figured out how to BE what he needed to be to reach his goals. By doing so, he also became a legend.
Let's create a legendary year together.
This year, I really want you to be a part of the conversation. Leave a comment and share one of your goals and what you need to BE to reach that goal. Your words might just inspire someone else!
And then we actually DO very little.
"Not this year," we tell ourselves, "THIS year will be the year I reach my goals, keep my resolutions, and lose that last 20 lbs."
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Sorry, did I write that out loud?
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, well, then January should be called National Insanity Month. I think I'll write Obama to see if he'll make it official.
If you've got a list of resolutions, goals, or to-dos for the coming year, that's ok. In fact, it's good. Having those things is way better than not having those things. But they are only 1/3 of the "secret formula" for succeeding.
One of the missing ingredients for many people is a plan. We set goals, but we fail to create the plan that will transport us from point A to point B. This is the "how" part. If you want to double your salary this year, how are you going to do that? What steps will you take to earn or produce more income? Once you identify those steps, ta-da! You've got a plan. You don't need a master's degree in strategic planning to create a plan to reach your personal goals. All you need is an hour and a piece of paper. Or that really cool iPad you got for Christmas.
The third, and most supremely powerful ingredient, is missed by almost everyone. Many people set goals, many people make solid, achievable plans, and very few people achieve even a fraction of what they set out to do each year. So what's missing?
Once you've got your goals and your plans, you've got to really dig and discover what you need to BE to make those things happen.
Running a full marathon (as opposed to one of those wimpy half-marathons) is one of the easiest goals to set and plan. In fact, you can go online and download a training plan from a thousand different websites right now. So aside from juggling your schedule a bit to fit the training in -- oh, and the actual running part -- running a full marathon should be one of the easiest goals to achieve. But it's not, is it?
Running a marathon requires you to do more than set the goal and plan for the goal. It requires you to BE things you've never been before.
Running a marathon requires you to BE:
- Committed. As in, committed to training above almost everything else in your personal life, including social activities, television, and even family time.
- Healthy. As in, healthier than you've ever been. That means eating better and getting more sleep.
- Focused. As in, don't even think about achieving a whole lot else while you're in marathon mode.
- Crazy. As in, you don't care what your out of shape friends think about your loony plans to conquer 26.2 miles of asphalt.
There are probably other things you need to BE to run a marathon, but you get the point. Can you see how critical this component of BEING is?
You will never achieve your goals unless you also discover and become what you need to BE to reach those goals. By the way, this works for teams and organizations as well as individuals. For a team to reach a goal, it also must figure out the state of being required to propel iself toward the finish line.
Now, dig your goals out and give some serious thought to what you will need to BE to make this year an amazing year for you, your team, or your entire organization. Work on you and what you need to BE first, and I promise you, the rest will come so much easier and faster that it might just freak you out a bit.
I will warn you, though, that committing to a new way of being will mean you have to let go of all the excuses that you created by your old way of being. That's easier said than done because those old excuses are sooooooo comfortable. For a good dose of inspiration, watch this Nike commercial featuring someone who figured out how to BE what he needed to be to reach his goals. By doing so, he also became a legend.
Let's create a legendary year together.
This year, I really want you to be a part of the conversation. Leave a comment and share one of your goals and what you need to BE to reach that goal. Your words might just inspire someone else!
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