Help Yourself by Helping Others
I volunteered to help out at our church Rummage Sale this week. The morning that I was scheduled to help I was pretty stressed out because I had a ton of work to do and was worried I wouldn’t have enough time to get it all done if I spent the morning at church. But then I remembered that helping others is one of the best things you can do for your own positivity. I spent the morning sorting clothes at church and when I got home I was in such a good mood that I had the energy I needed to get all of my work done. Not that my work is ever done! But the few deadlines I had that day were met.
Practicing acts of kindness or helping others is one of the number one happiness interventions. There are several different reasons that being kind and generous increases your positivity. Helping others makes you feel good about yourself. Using your skills in acts of kindness can boost your self-confidence and give you a sense of accomplishment. Giving to others can lead you to appreciate your own good fortune. Generosity connects you with other people, those you are helping or other volunteers. These social interactions also contribute to higher levels of positivity. Finally, helping others can distract you from your own problems. You don’t have as much time to worry about things in your own life if you are focused on someone else.
Cami Walker is an excellent example of how practicing acts of kindness can be good for you. She was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and at a particularly low point in her life when she decided to follow the advice of her spiritual teacher and “give something away each day for 29 days”. Cami realized that the more she gave away the better she felt. She started blogging about her experience and challenges others to try 29-Day Giving.
Have you experienced the joy of giving? I’d love to hear your stories! If you are looking for a quick way to increase your positivity, do something nice for someone today. Companies can also capitalize on the power of giving in order to boost organizational positivity. Starbucks has always encouraged their employees to volunteer in the community; even giving them paid days off for volunteer work. How can you encourage your employees to help others?
Positivity Increases Employee Engagement
Positive employees are engaged in their work and their organizations. When people experience positive emotions they are energetic, confident, and optimistic. As a result, they are internally motivated to pursue challenging goals.
Energy
Positive people have more energy and see their lives as more purpose driven than negative people. Most of us can relate to this. When you wake up in the morning feeing depressed what do you want to do? Nothing, right? In fact, one of the signs of depression is not wanting to get out of bed. Now think of how you feel when you wake up on a Saturday morning in a really good mood. You probably feel like doing a lot of different things. Maybe you will have some coffee and read the paper. Then you might decide to clean out the garage. If it is a pretty day you might go for a long afternoon bike ride and later take the kids to see a movie. The same thing happens to employees at work if they are in a positive mood. They feel energized and driven to work toward their goals.
Self-confidence
Another way that positivity increases employee engagement is that it makes people feel good about themselves. Positive people have higher self-esteem and a higher sense of mastery and control. This self-confidence leads them to set higher goals and to persist in the face of difficulties. People who believe they are capable of doing something don’t give up. They keep trying until they succeed.
Optimism
In addition to feeling energized and self-confident, positive people are more optimistic. They believe that good things will happen, that they will accomplish their goals. This optimism gives positive people hope that things will turn out well, so they not only set high goals, but they also generate multiple pathways for meeting their goals, which increases the likelihood that they will achieve them.
Are the employees in your company engaged? Can you think of someone who is energetic, confident, and optimistic? Could positivity have anything to do with it? I’d love to hear of a time when you’ve seen a connection between positivity and internal motivation!
More on Mindfulness
In my last blog I talked about being more mindful by savoring the present moment and actively listening to others. Mindfulness is a traditional Buddhist practice in which full attention is paid to the present moment. The aim is to be completely focused on what you are doing, not thinking about the past or the future or other distractions. Now if you have a monkey mind like I do that is easier said than done. But with practice you can do it!
Meditation
Mindfulness can be achieved through meditation. You can try this by sitting in a quiet place and focusing on your breath. Notice the sensations in your body as you breathe in and out. If thoughts come to mind, acknowledge them and then return your attention to your breath. See how long you can stay in the present. Your mind will wander! The key is not to get frustrated when it does. You can’t stop thinking, but you can return your focus to your breath and begin again.
Present moment awareness
Another way to be mindful is by giving your fullest attention to any activity you engage in. You can practice present moment awareness while you eat, walk, or drive. The key is to focus all of your attention on what you are doing. Why not try eating lunch alone without the TV or a book? Focus on your food, how it smells, how it tastes, how it looks. If your mind wanders gently bring it back to your food.
I used to spend my time walking to the gym, showering, and driving to work planning my day or deciding what to blog about or what to make for dinner. Now I try to use some of that time to practice present moment awareness. Another great time to do this is when you are waiting for someone or stuck in traffic. Instead of getting frustrated, take a deep breath and try to appreciate a moment of calm.
Mindfulness increases positivity, creativity, and concentration and reduces stress and anxiety. We would all be more successful at work if we took time during the day to practice present moment awareness. Why not try it to see how it makes you feel? And spread the news! The more people in your workplace who practice mindfulness, the more organizational positivity there will be.
Mindfulness; the Present is a Gift
“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Of the many different strategies for increasing your positivity, the one that has had the biggest impact on me so far is being mindful. I am your typical Type A personality, always rushing around trying to do 5 things at once. Or at least I was! I have been making an intentional effort to stop and smell the roses, to be more mindful of the present moment.
Savoring the moment
Being mindful is paying attention to and appreciating the here and now. It increases positivity by helping you to savor the present moment. It also curbs negativity by preventing you from dwelling on negative thoughts. I feel sure that my father’s passion for bird watching contributes to his positivity. He is completely absorbed in the moment as he searches the trees to find the bird he hears. He finds great joy in the beauty of the nature surrounding him and his focus makes it impossible for him to be worrying about anything else.
Unfortunately, most of us spend too much time ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. It requires a conscious effort to be mindful of the present.
Active listening
Distractions make it difficult to attend to the present moment. So the next time your daughter is telling you about the new game she and her friends made up at recess, take a break from making dinner and really listen to her. Truly listening to people not only helps you to focus on the present, but it makes them feel good to know they are being heard.
How much better a leader would you be at work if you were fully present and really listened to your employees? How often do you sit in a meeting checking your e-mail or thinking about the report you have to finish later? In positive organizations people are mindful; they give their full attention to what is happening in the present moment and to what others are saying.
How good are you at being mindful? Do you keep distractions to a minimum so you can fully attend to the present moment? Why not make an effort today to really listen to someone or to savor the moment rather than worry about what comes next?
Training women in Peru
I spent last week in Lima, Peru working with the Thunderbird School of Global Management to design a training program for women. The goal of the program, called Strengthening Women Entrepreneurship in Peru, is to help 100,000 women launch and grow their micro or small businesses through education. The project is being funded by over $7 million in grants.
The girl effect
Investing so much money in women makes a lot of sense. Check out girleffect.org! When girls are educated they are more likely to obtain good jobs, earn higher wages, and to have fewer and healthier children. Poor women who receive microfinance loans default on the loans less often than men and the credit they receive has a greater impact on household consumption and the quality of their children’s lives.
Increasing women’s participation in business in the developing world is good for business and good for society. But what about in the developed world? It turns out that women’s participation is good for business everywhere! According to a Catalyst study, U.S. companies with the highest percentage of women on their top management teams significantly outperformed companies with the lowest percentage on women managers.
Rethinking work and careers
Unfortunately, women are not fully participating in business in the developing or the developed world. In the U.S. women make up only 3 to 5 percent of the top executives among Fortune 500 firms. Many women opt out before making it to the top of the corporate ladder. This is due to a number of factors, but one of the main reasons is that outdated assumptions about the way work should be done and the way careers should be built make working in many organizations unattractive to women who also want to participate in other areas of their lives.
Companies interested in retaining talented women need to reward results, not face time. It shouldn’t matter when, where or how the work gets done. Performance should be measured based on results alone! Companies also need to recognize that successful career paths don’t have to follow the traditional full-time model. People should be able to adjust their employment situation to fit their changing life circumstances. Working full-time or part-time or even take time off should all be viable options at different points in a person’s career.
I don’t believe any company can achieve organizational positivity unless women and men have equal opportunities. Hopefully, training women entrepreneurs in Peru will increase their opportunities for success. But we also need to direct our attention to our own backyard. Do women and men truly have the same opportunities for career success in your organization? Or are traditional work structures and career ladders keeping women at a disadvantage? What do you think?
What Determines Positivity Levels?
When I’m talking to people about all of the amazing benefits of positivity, inevitably someone says “Sounds great, but what about the people who aren’t positive? I definitely know some people who are more like Eeyore than Tigger.”
Genes
It is true that some people are naturally more positive than others; genes account for around 50% of our happiness. One reason we know that positivity is partially hereditary is from studies of twins. It turns out that the correlation for happiness in identical twins is around 40% while for non identical twins it is close to zero.
Life circumstances
That our positivity is due in part to our genes is not surprising to most people. What does tend to surprise people is that life circumstances only account for 10% of our happiness! This means that things like our health, income, age, and even events like getting a fantastic new job or winning the lottery have a very small lasting impact on our happiness. Sure, life events can increase or decrease our positivity, but the effect is only temporary. Why? Because we adapt very quickly to new circumstances. Our brains are wired to respond to novelty, so when the novelty wears off, so does the effect.
Thoughts and actions
Then what else determines our happiness? A whopping 40% of our positivity is due to our thoughts and actions, which are under our control! So even if you were born more of an Eeyore, you can choose to be a Tigger. How you think and the activities you pursue influence your positivity. Some strategies for increasing happiness include having gratitude, optimistic thinking, meditation, goal-setting, helping others, and savoring the moment.
And just as you can use these strategies to increase your own positivity, so too can companies adopt strategies to increase organizational positivity. A variety of interventions can help to establish a positive climate at work, which will enhance employee engagement and effectiveness.
Your attitude is up to you! You can choose to be a Tigger or an Eeyore. But given the benefits of positivity for your health, your relationships, and your performance, why wouldn’t you want to boost your happiness? And what company wouldn’t be interested in increasing organizational positivity?
An Attitude of Gratitude
There is strong scientific evidence for the impact of gratitude on positivity. Gratitude boosts positivity by increasing the frequency of pleasant emotions you experience as you think about all that is good in your life. Gratitude involves not just thanking someone, but also things like savoring the moment, counting your blessings, and truly appreciating what you have.
Grateful people are more optimistic, helpful, enthusiastic and energetic. They are less likely to feel depressed and anxious and report fewer physical discomforts like headaches. They also sleep better! Gratitude improves your relationships because you tend to treat people better when you remember how thankful you are to have them in your life.
Here are some proven interventions for cultivating gratitude in your personal and professional life:
- Keep a gratitude journal – Once a week, write down five things for which you are grateful. You can include anything from your kids helping you fold the clothes, to the gorgeous sunset, to finally finishing that report.
- Write a gratitude letter – Write a letter to someone who has been especially kind or helpful to you but whom you have never properly thanked. You might choose your sister, or a former teacher, or a colleague. You could also pick someone you don’t know personally, but who has influenced your life like an author or someone who works in your industry. One option is to visit or call this person and read the letter to them. However, simply writing the letter without ever sending it is enough to increase your happiness.
- Count your blessings – Choose a specific time in your day to take a moment to appreciate what is good in your life. This might be before falling asleep, or on your drive home, or first thing in the morning. The important thing is to make counting your blessings a part of your daily routine.
How often do you think about what is good in your life? Maybe you are too busy to stop and count your blessings. Why not take a minute right now to reflect on what you are grateful for? Or perhaps you could send a quick e-mail of thanks to someone whom you appreciate? Try it out and see how it makes you feel!
What is Positivity?
I think before I go any further I should define what I mean by positivity. Positivity is the frequent experience of pleasant emotions. Some of the most common are: joy, hope, gratitude, interest, serenity, pride, amusement, love, inspiration, and awe.
3-to-1 ratio
The concept of positivity is by no means a Pollyannaish ideal where you don’t experience negative emotions. Obviously, we can’t avoid negativity in our lives; bad things do happen. What matters is the ratio of positive to negative emotions over time. We just have to make sure that we have more than enough positive experiences to counterbalance the negative ones. Research in positivity indicates that the benefits of positivity occur when our ratio of positive-to-negative emotions is at least 3-to-1.
Negativity bias
Experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones is important because we have a negativity bias. Negative emotions feel more intense than positive emotions. We pay more attention to negative stories. That’s why negative news sells! People also remember negative events more readily, typically recalling four negative memories for every positive one.
This negativity bias ensures that we give attention and effort to minimizing threats to our survival. It could be potentially dangerous to ignore a honking horn. When someone is sick they need attention. At work we focus on performance gaps because they might put our business at risk.
Intentionally positive
This means that we need to make a concerted effort to increase positivity in our lives in order to counteract the negativity. Fortunately, what matters is the ratio of positive to negative emotions over time, not the intensity of those emotions. Small acts of kindness or a few extra positive thoughts throughout the day can increase your positivity ratio and move you past the 3-to-1 tipping point.
How many positive emotions have you experienced in the last 24 hours? What were they? Were there enough to make up for the negative ones? Think of something you could do right now that would make you smile. Maybe just take a minute to count your blessings.
Positivity is good for your health and good for your relationships. But the benefits of positivity don’t stop there. Positivity is also related to successful performance in many different areas of life. The discovery by Barbara Fredrickson that positivity changes the way your mind works is what led to my excitement about the possibilities of organizational positivity.
Positivity broadens your mind
So what exactly did Barbara discover? She found that positivity works in the opposite way as negativity. Negativity narrows our focus. This helps us to respond rapidly to a threat, like the fight or flight reaction. Positivity, on the other hand, broadens the range of ideas and behaviors that come to mind. It opens us up!
Because positive people are more open, they take in more information, which helps them see multiple solutions to problems and make better decisions. When people experience positive emotions they feel safe and secure, so they can think in more divergent ways without feeling threatened. Thinking outside the box leads to greater creativity. Positive people are also more curious and interested in learning new things.
Positivity impacts performance
The impact of positivity on the way we think influences all kinds of performance. Students do better on standardized tests when they generate positive emotions before taking the test. Doctors who are given a bag of candy to increase their positivity are more likely to make a correct diagnosis. Managers make better decisions and negotiators reach optimal agreements when they are positive.
It gets you thinking about how your company could benefit from increased positivity, doesn’t it? Positivity leads to better decision making, increased creativity, and greater flexibility. It is related to higher levels of job performance, prosocial behavior, supervisory evaluations, perceived customer service, and collaboration.
What are you going to do today to start creating a more positive climate in your organization? Keep checking back here for tips on increasing organizational positivity.
