Lean Tip
#3166 – Notice the Small Things
At the
end of the workday, make a list of three things that went right. Even if it was
a challenging day, anyone can find three positives, such as finishing an
important email, booking a meeting or committing to taking a lunch break. Put
this in a prominent place at your desk where you’ll see it when you arrive the
next day. Be thankful for small wins and use the moment to start the day with
momentum.
Lean Tip
#3167 – Compliment a Colleague
It’s easy
to get wrapped up in our routine and challenges we face. But even when you’re busy
– and especially when you’re busy – pausing to notice the accomplishments of a
colleague and thank them will lighten your load. When you pay attention to
catch your co-workers doing something right, you’re less likely to negatively
stew over your problems. The positivity will be reflected back on your mood and
productivity.
Lean Tip
#3168 – Be Grateful for the Person, Not Just Their Output
Cultivating
a positive and engaging environment begins with expressing gratitude beyond
what people do at your company.
In short,
workers should be appreciated for more than accomplishing their day-to-day
responsibilities. Instead, focus on expressing gratitude for their unique
insights, skills, contributions, and also for their personality.
Expressing
gratitude for someone’s “soft” skills like their contagious positive attitude
and sense of humor, or keen ability to think critically, is a great way to
ensure gratitude is sincere and genuine.
Lean Tip
#3169 – Spread Positivity
One thing
that is unique and powerful about gratitude is that it’s CONTAGIOUS.
Establishing it as a culture is how leaders can bring positivity to the
workplace and foster a culture of gratitude. Gratitude shouldn’t have a time
limit; it should be treated as a mindset. It’s critical to incorporate this
mindset into your daily conversations if you want to inspire others to do the
same.
Lean Tip
#3170 – Make Time for your Team
Don’t
underestimate the value of giving coworkers your undivided attention. Work
environments can be fast-paced and stressful. By spending quality time with a
coworker and giving them your undivided attention, you demonstrate their
importance to you and your team. It also creates the opportunity to show your
appreciation for their recent contributions. Quality time has become even more
valuable in a virtual work environment, and making a point to designate time
with your team will make them feel appreciated.
Lean Tip
#3171 – Start Meetings with Gratitude
Instead
of starting a meeting with introductions or project updates, ask people to
share something they are grateful for. This not only helps people get to know
each other, they will also become more present and less stressed. It’s almost
impossible to stay flustered or worried when you authentically express
gratitude for something. It actually shifts our biology, lowering blood
pressure and releasing dopamine and oxytocin.
Lean Tip
#3172 – Engage in Acts of Appreciation
We live
in a culture where it’s common to point out problems but rare to highlight the
positive. When was the last time you expressed gratitude to your colleagues for
a job well done or the gifts and talents they bring to the team? How often do
you comment on the positive qualities of your family members or neighbors without
adding a “but” or request at the end?
All of us
hunger to be seen and heard, so take time to tell someone what you value about
him or her. If we express our gratitude to another person, she or he gets a
positive boost.
Lean Tip
#3173 – Be There to Help When They Need It
I believe
that being there to help someone when they need you is a good way to show
gratitude. You should obviously thank them at the moment, but don’t forget
about them later if they need your help with something. This gesture shows them
that you are appreciative and dependable, which means you both will grow mutual
trust.
Lean Tio
#3174 – Be There to Help When They Need It
I believe
that being there to help someone when they need you is a good way to show
gratitude. You should obviously thank them at the moment, but don’t forget
about them later if they need your help with something. This gesture shows them
that you are appreciative and dependable, which means you both will grow mutual
trust.
Lean Tip
#3175 – Spark Innovation
The best
ideas are cultivated in an open, collaborative and meaningful exchange. Create
a workplace environment that makes sharing new ideas not only accepted, but
also encouraged and supported. Showing employees that their opinions and ideas
are valued instills courage and confidence that opens doors to creative
thinking, expressing new ideas and exploring curiosities.
Lean Tip
#3176 – Embrace and Inspire Employee Autonomy
No one
likes to be micromanaged at work. It's ineffective, inefficient, and does little
to inspire trust in your company culture.
You hired
them, so you should trust your employees to manage their responsibilities
effectively!
Embracing
your team's autonomy allows them to make the sometimes difficult, but
incredibly rewarding, leap from being held accountable to their
responsibilities to embracing accountability as they begin to take on and own
their initiatives.
Lean Tip
#3177 – Promote a Team Atmosphere
Don’t
think of the other employees at your company as simply groups of other people
you work with, but as integral members of your team.
This
shift in mentality from people (or siloed groups of people) working toward
individual goals to a unified team, all pulling in one direction, can make an
enormous difference in the results of your work.
Lean Tip
#3178 – Stay True to Your Core Values
Core
values are much more than a list of bullet points on a company's About Us page.
Core values are a company’s North Star. They’re informed by an organization’s
mission and goals and are the principals at the heart of an organization.
Your
values determine what is important and meaningful to you. They align with your
purpose, and speak loudly and passionately to others—and to yourself—about who
you are and what you're called to do in this world.
If you
want your organizational culture to stick, you need to develop genuine core
values and stay true to them.
Lean Tip
#3179 – Make Transparency A Priority
Employee
satisfaction is greatly affected by the ability to trust senior management.
Build trust with employees and cultivate a reputation as a trustworthy employer
by increasing transparency across the company. Prioritize top-down
communication by keeping employees informed about the business through
company-wide emails and timely updates during town hall meetings.
Establish
an open-door policy by making members of the C-suite more accessible through
office hours and small group discussions. In a hybrid or remote workplace, you
can over-communicate your thought process with employees, set up daily
check-ins and offer open virtual meeting hours.
Lean Tip
#3180 – Encourage Each of Your Employees to be Their Authentic Selves.
Everyone
has their own unique personality, hobbies, sense of style and passion. No one
wants to be a robot or a number. Obviously, there should be some guardrails,
but the more you allow your employees to freely express themselves, the happier
and more productive they will be.
