JS Tip 575: Encouraging Others
Last week, we asked for suggestions. You gave us suggestions. The next few weeks will focus on your suggested topics.
Our friend Susan Williams of the Davis County Sheriff’s Office wrote, “I would love to get some ideas for establishing an environment of encouragement and a means of motivating employees. I want my staff and coworkers to feel good about showing up each day.”
Thank you.
Five thoughts:
Set the example. Choose a positive attitude. “We can do this.” “Yes, we can.” Consider Viktor Frankl’s counsel: “The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circustances, to choose one’s own way.”
Engage. Acknowledge others. Seize the initiative (carpe diem). Greet people before they greet you. Smile, make eye contact, and say, “Hey! Good morning! It’s good to see you.”
Work together to identify the group priorities and give ownership to everyone in the group. Support those priorities with specific do-able tasks. Recognize everyone as a leader. The seasoned professionals have the experience and the institutional memory. The new hires have the out-of-the-box ideas. Listen to everyone.
Acknowledge the difficulty of the situation with some optimism. “These are tough times. We’ve never been here before. But that’s okay. We’ll get through this.”
Coordinate. Share. Use group emails to compliment success and dispel fear.
These thoughts are neither original to us nor particularly profound, but they will make a difference.
What are your thoughts?
Hey . . . we love this stuff.