It is spring - time to renew your sense of positivity!

Here we are…the beginning of spring!  The weather has started to turn and people are coming out of hibernation.  Easter has brought a sense of renewal and hope.  The complaints and woes of winter are fading behind us.  Or are they?  Yes, yes - we do seem to be on the path to happiness now.  The good weather will make us happy!  It will feel so good to be able to ride the lawn tractor and soak in the sun.

Think about it though, what will our attitudes be by the end of July?  Do the winter doldrums turn into the hatred of heat waves or complaints that it is time for the kids to go back to school?  The lawn tractor becomes an instrument of dread.  It is too hot.  Too dry.  Too much of anything that will give us something to complain about.  Hey, what happened to our renewed spring positivity?

Ah, positivity.  Positive focus.  Looking up instead of down.  Thinking happy thoughts makes us, well, happy.  It sounds so very simple!  Why then do we have such a hard time with it?  Why do we always seem to fall back to the negative?  

It goes beyond weather, of course.  Negativity entrenches itself so much in our thoughts and actions that we actually lose the ability to look at the positive side.   How many times have you heard, “the problem is?”  Or worse, “I hate it when…”  The more you say it, the more everything takes on a negative tone.  Think about the very word, “hate.”  It is the pure embodiment of negativity.  How many times have you used it recently?

What does it take?  What does it take to say “the solution is…”  What does it take to simply change to focusing on the more positive side of “I really like it better when…”  If there is a negative then there must also be some sort of positive.  How much better would our lives and relationships be if we were just to change that focus?

Now, I will fully admit that it is very easy for me to fall into the negative.  It takes conscience effort to think positively – even though I know I feel better when I do.  It is such a counter-intuitive process.  Thinking negative makes us feel worse – mentally, emotionally and physically – yet it is where we seem to begin.

Honestly, this just happened to me with a few elderly family members.  We have some challenging times ahead and it would be so much easier if they had just done things differently.  Truly, I found myself somewhat begrudging the situation and I knew that I had to handle it.  In asking my husband for his perspective, he did agree that my point of view was valid, however, by looking at the family members' decisions, we could clearly see all the good that was accomplished.  That simple conversation changed my perspective from negative to positive.  Even better, the guilt of feeling negative is gone.  It has been replaced by the gratitude of feeling positive!!!

So, does this really apply to business?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  Think about the times you have felt negative about a project or worse yet, a team member.  Did it really turn out as bad as your initial reaction?  Most times – probably not.  How did you feel after?  Guilty or embarrassed by your negativity?  If you had been more positive, more accepting then those feelings would be far different.  Offer hope instead of dread.  Give gratitude instead of resentment.  Be understanding instead of reproachful.

Give it a try.  If you catch yourself going down a negative path, stop.  Discuss it with someone – someone who will truly give you the other side.  At RD Advisory Group, we try to help business people see and use the power of positivity.  We can help you too!  It is as simple as taking a different perspective – one with a very positive outcome. 

Thank you for joining me on this renewed journey.  I welcome comments and questions.  Please go to my webpage, www.rdadvisorygroup.com for more information on an assessment of your current business functions. If you would like to read my previous blogging efforts, please go to: www.managingbusinessacument@blogspot.com. 

Spring Cleaning!  It's time to eliminate the toxic instigators. 

It always seems to happen, doesn’t it?  You want to focus on work.  You need to focus on work.  Yet, there you are, faced with someone who is determined to share every toxic thought with you.  They are out to erode your motivation, support and waste your time.  Just two days ago, a person that I have never met, was standing in front of me and was complaining about her situation and wanted me to do the same.  She didn’t know me.  I certainly didn’t invite her to share her opinions and problems – nor did I encourage them.   Yet, there she was, wasting my time with her toxic attitude.   It happens to all of us and it is especially damaging to our teams.   

So how do we handle it?  Personally, I refuse to join in and will try to offer a solution.  Through my many years of experience, I have learned not to trust those who spew.  They are looking for credibility and will use your innocent words against you.  A simple, “why don’t you just go talk to the person” usually disarms them.  You are offering a solution, which isn’t what they are looking for or what they really want.  In this situation, I employed my, “you should really go talk to <name> and ask what factors he uses to make the decisions.”  Needless to say, that is NOT what she wanted to hear.  After realizing she wasn’t going to get anything else from me, she went on her way.  

It isn’t always that simple, especially in the context of the team.  Toxic attitudes can spread like a disease.  If they are not handled properly, a team’s dedication, motivation and future all spiral out of control.  So often, there is usually one member of the team who has attitude issues and is just difficult.  We try to make life better for them.  We tip-toe around them.  We let them do things their way.  Anything just to make our work life bearable and not upset the other team members.  As leaders, we often think it will damage a team more when someone is removed than it is to leave them, and their toxicity, in place.  It doesn’t work though.  Inevitably, we are usually forced to make a move. 

What happens after the move, which usually is traumatized even more by the toxic instigator?

If you are a true leader, you are someone who can go in and set things right.  Acknowledge that the environment has been difficult.  There might be tasks that no one knows how to do.  There might be initial mistakes made.  That is to be expected.  Do not let the team feel like they cannot go on without their toxic instigator.  Show them how positive the change really is!

Ask for the team’s feedback on how to move forward.  Invite ideas for change.  Engage them on how to set a culture of positive influence.  It just takes key questions and an open mind to their answers.  The best part is, you don’t have to do it alone.  Invite a coach to come in.  A third party who has no personal gain at stake.  Someone who can develop an organizational plan for your team. Someone to help build the trust that was eroded away.  

It happens time and time again and the turn-arounds can be amazing.  Team members who did not appear to be interested suddenly become owners of their work.  They set goals and standards that can truly amaze you.  Not only did you not know they had it in them – they did not know they had it in themselves.   Eliminating toxic waste can do wonders for a system!  It is time to take on the toxic – with some help, you will win too!

  

Please share your thoughts and experiences!   I welcome comments and questions.  Please go to my webpage, www.rdadvisorygroup.com for more information on an assessment of your current business functions. If you would like to read my previous blogging efforts, please go to: www.managingbusinessacument@blogspot.com.