With a positive mindset, the world of work is full of possibilities. More than a welcoming smile or cheery email, a positive mindset is a way of being, that when committed to and put into practice becomes instinct.
A positive mindset enables us to take the best from every day and nurture a culture where people are encouraged and optimistic. In the workplace and as a leader, this is especially important not just for job satisfaction, but for being effective and driving change.
Those who undertake just a short positivity exercise every day are shown to experience a significant increase in life satisfaction – a metric widely accepted to be one of the greatest predictors of productivity and happiness in the workplace.
Similarly, research has shown that a positive mindset relates to increased workplace performance in key areas like productivity, creativity, and engagement. Not forgetting that those of us more engaged in our roles, are 40% more likely to be promoted.
If you set a personal development goal to be more positive in 2022, you’ll want to check out these 4 tips.
1. Take ownership over your reactions
There’s a saying that “the only thing we can truly control is how we react”.
At Intuitive, we agree that reactions are within our power. We also believe that learning how to control our responses can lead to a healthier, more positive mindset.
If there is a challenging meeting in the diary it can be useful to think through how it might play out beforehand. Of course, the outcome can’t be determined in advance but a calm, positive approach can go a long way to ensuring that the time is productive. A study has even found that people who cultivate a positive mindset perform better in the face of a challenge.
Choosing positivity is self-fulfilling. From communicating effectively and reaping the rewards, we gain the confidence to make bolder moves that drive action. The satisfaction derived from this fuels a positive mindset long-term and boosts our mood short term, while also contributing to an enthusiastic work environment where your people can thrive.
2. Adopt a learning mentality for little wins
The human brain feeds off achievement. Who doesn’t love that dopamine boost and feeling of contentment when we’ve accomplished something? After all, success is a moving target so we too, have to keep working toward it by learning.
Creating opportunities for achievement in our work lives can therefore only be brilliant for a positive mindset. This is especially important when faced with negativity.
Say you’re facing roadblocks when pushing through an initiative that you know will transform a process. Although it’s disappointing when others don’t share our passion, taking positive learning from the experience will shift an otherwise negative interaction from a source of bother to a source of betterment.
Giving voice to the positives, no matter how seemingly small, fuels an optimistic mindset. To feel our absolute best in our roles, we recommend regularly carving out time to reflect on things (or people) we’re grateful for and noting a few things we’ve learned recently. These little wins help foster a sense of achievement and keep us feeling positive and fulfilled. Why not try it yourself after reading this blog?
3. Act with empathy and understanding
As the stereotype goes, we can be split into Negative or Positive people. This is true to an extent but forgets that we have unique personalities that resist neatly labelled boxes. Otherwise, life would be rather dull! So, how is this relevant to a positive mindset at work?
Think about a time in your career when you may have acted negatively. We’re sure it wasn’t deliberate, perhaps being doubt, disappointment or even fear. Although not wrong to feel, these emotions can come across as negativity and as leaders in the workplace, we have a responsibility to manage them.
If a member of your team is being less-than-positive, our own mood may be brought down. It can be tricky to steer the conversation into calmer waters, leaving us feeling exhausted and taking focus from conversations that need our input. But here, remember that this person has no ill-intent.
Being considerate, empathetic, and optimistic around downcast colleagues helps you be resilient and maintain a positive mindset. And for colleagues, you’ll offer a much-needed fresh perspective that breaks the cycle of negativity. It’s a win-win for happy workplaces.
4. And finally, give yourself time to process when needed
It can be easy for feelings of negativity to spiral. As such, many of us avoid thinking about negative work experiences altogether.
But sometimes, leaving things unaddressed can have the opposite effect on positivity. Negatives can become entangled in our heads – unwelcome intruders to our positive mindset that sap our focus, creativity and dynamism.
So, we’re advocates for dedicating a set amount of time, perhaps once a week, to simply powering down and processing those thoughts. For example, tell yourself that for 20 minutes, you can think about that negative experience or worry. After which, the dwelling is done. If the issue needs further resolution, promise to decide first thing Monday you’ll set about an appropriate action plan.
Ready to make search consultancy an experience to smile about? View our brochure here to hear from candidates and clients who team up with Intuitive time and time again.
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