CELEBRATE [GOOD TIMES, C’MON!]: POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY BASICS FOR THE WORKDAY
For more than a decade now, wellness practitioners and consultants have been touting the big benefits of a gratitude practice. This is great – as we know that gratitude is an evidence-based way to support the whole person.
However, I see celebration as the next big thing. And it’s not just my belief or forecast, this practice is evidence-based as well … just fewer people are talking about it! Well-being theory and positive psychology research reminds us that positive emotions are an integral driver of health and happiness. People need to consistently experience positive emotion to flourish, and I see the workday as a perfect place to leverage what scientists call “emotional contagion” in a positive way. In other words, emotions and even body language are thought to be contagious and mirrored, respectively, so it makes perfect sense that there are opportunities all day long to consider and apply this knowledge. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Non-Verbal Opportunities
I frequently speak on healthy communication practices, and groups are generally floored to learn that non-verbal communication plays such a significant role. According to research, non-verbal cues (actions and gestures) account for four times more than verbal communication (words) – that’s an 80% to 20% difference. The words we say and how we say them matter very much but we must remember that body language, gestures, postures, physical distance (and more) really impact a situation and potential outcomes.
Think of the person you know who greets you with a warm, welcoming smile, makes eye contact and respects your personal space. Isn’t that a winning trifecta? Contrast this with an experience of a leader who is cold, ignores others in the hallway and is consistently intimidating in tone. Which would you choose to model and/or witness?
Better, More Motivating Meetings, Workdays & Cultural Norms
There are a myriad of ways to layer consistent celebration immediately within the workday. These can look like small, intentional practices that, over time, catch on and help to keep teams energized, acknowledged and motivated. Whether this looks like spotlighting individual or group achievements, doing meaningful community service work, sharing business milestones, expressing gratitude freely or holding learning and development trainings specific to positive psychology, employees are sure to feel the difference in a workplace that values positive interventions – and the health and happiness of its teams.
I’ve been working with “wins” in my business – both internally and with clients – for many years now, and the impact has been incredible. I like to use the term WINSday to denote a day that’s especially dedicated to sharing group wins and I encourage our wellness clients to submit their W.O.W.s – short for Wins of the Week – each Monday. Furthermore, rather than occasionally sharing a “win” in a team touch base, my team asked that we keep “wins” on the agenda as a recurring topic each meeting. This alone has been transformational in celebrating (as a team) good news and anything that’s really working well in our business. It’s a strengths-based approach, focusing on successes, not just issues.
Appreciative Inquiry & Coaching
On that note, appreciative inquiry (AI – but not the one everyone thinks of) is an approach for navigating change using positive psychology. It’s a practice I’d recommend incorporating into any business and certainly any coaching practice. The use of appreciative questions allows us to ask (ourselves or others) powerful questions. The response to these questions then allows for thoughtful, strategic planning that is generally characterized by a sense of excitement, confidence and optimism. Here are examples of a few business-specific appreciative questions:
“What’s working well for us (as a team or organization) right now?”
“What are we best at and how do we leverage this?”
“What do we want more of (in terms of success)?”
Note: As we bring positivity practices into the workday, it’s helpful to know that something called “toxic positivity” exists. We want to be mindful not to dismiss the feelings of others with our positive and optimistic commentary. Healthy communication practices remind us to actively listen to others, seek to understand what they’re thinking and feeling and reflect it back to them with empathy. “It sounds like this has been a really difficult week for you” is a more effective response than “Cheer up, buttercup – at least your healthy!”.
In Summary
Just as Mister Rogers encouraged us to “look for the helpers” in times of crisis, I believe we can always look for some good news while we navigate difficult times and problem solve issues. Consistently highlighting success stories (personal and professional), accomplishments, achievements and what’s working well can go a long way in transforming culture and daily experiences in business. With that, I invite you to create your own WINSday or even a small daily practice in which you can celebrate one of your “wins.” Give it a go – I’d love to learn what you find!
Sources & To Learn More: Positive Psychology | Verywell Mind | Psychology Today