The Power of Positive

Read a tweet today (mediaphyter) that noted how people limit the potential of social media by defining what it isn’t.  In truth, the tendency to begin with the negative is a bad habit too-common in how people speak.  When you ask people what they’re good at, you often hear, “Well, I’m terrible at tennis, (or public speaking, or math, or meeting new people,) but people tell me I’m pretty good at…”  Or, when you ask how their day is going, you might hear, “Well, I haven’t accomplished half of what I needed to…”  

My grandmother, who is remembered for her many wonderful quirks, ingrained in my sisters and me a universal positive response to the question, “How are you?”   Even now, many (many) years later, I still respond, “Fine, thank you, and you?”  She told us that no one wanted to hear you complain, people weren’t really looking for a long and whiny response, and that (and with this point she was brilliant), people are drawn to positive people!    

Of course there was that one boyfriend, twenty years ago, who ended our relationship because I was too happy.  But who wanted to be around him anyway.  I prefer to surround myself with people who are proud, optimistic and appreciative of all the wonderful things in their lives.   Not nauseatingly Pollyanna, but inclined to smile not scowl.   Open to the possibilities, new discoveries, adventures and learning.   

So, grandma was right.  Beginning with the negative, or defensive, or self-deprecating remark diminishes the perception of you as a confident person.  Making the conscious choice to be positive — and to use positive communication —  is more inspiring, motivating and empowering!

Linking to LinkedIn Poll

Created a poll on LinkedIn, asking “What’s the biggest deterrent to high performance in the workplace today?”  So far the data (a small sample and far from scientic) points to lack of clarity about priorities.   What do you think?     Is it:  anxiety over job security, work overload, web 2.0 distractions, lack of motivation or lack of clarity re: priorities?  

Check it out.   Cut and paste this url and let me know what you think: http://polls.linkedin.com/p/28589/fgsea   

Any good anecdotes to share?  Is your response different today because of tighter budgets, shorter deadlines and fewer people?  The responses so far vary by gender, work title and company size.  Interesting…

Monday Morning Brain Clutter

My Monday morning to-do list defies the time management and organization best practices I espouse.   “I’m only human,” I keep chanting as I look at the sea of colorful post-it notes adorning my bulletin board, laptop, and too-many piles on my desk.  Though I know to ask myself, “what is the most important use of my time right now?” my brain is too-cluttered with reminders to send a client pre-workshop readings, to call the plumber about a leaking toilet before 25 guests arrive for this weekend’s early Passover seder (a Loeb family tradition), to call the store about my daughter’s prom shoes, to send the invitation for another client’s workshop, to draft the debrief from last week’s super creative and fun planning session with the Loeb Group trainers, not to mention posting a blog….  So I remind myself to breathe, to do a brain dump (in one place) of all the myriad tasks, to realistically anticipate how long each will take and which should come first.  I step back and rationally identify my goals for this week (keeping in mind what is humanly possible) and then prioritize.   Okay…I’m back in control, making smart decisions and have stopped anxiously biting my cuticles.  Life is good.

Spring Fever

There was nothing balmy about today’s weather in New England and it snowed in the New York area, but there is something absolutely hopeful about the first day of Spring.  This date on the calendar portends all good things ahead.   Leisurely strolls versus hurried sprints from one point to another.   I lift my head out of its winter position tucked snugly into my coat collar and wool scarf.  I make eye contact, nod and smile at people I pass.  I notice the color of a house that might have been painted months ago but only now looks fresh and reborn.  The wintry hue of whites and grays is replaced by vibrant blues and soon (though not yet) green!   I feel a renewed energy, bolstered as I inhale the first smells of Spring (probably only imagined this early in the season).   Standing taller, shoulders back, smiling, I know that I can do anything.   Yes I can!

The Obama Effect

As Congress challenges AIG’s CEO, and the politicians and pundits play the blame game, President Obama demonstrated his leadership skills once again as he declared simply, “Washington is all in a tizzy over who’s at fault. Some say it’s the Democrats’ fault, the Republicans’ fault. Listen, I’ll take responsibility, I’m the president.” This declaration and President Obama’s smart and eloquent public speaking prowess set the bar very high for everyone else — for corporate spokespersons, politicians and the rest of us.   Obama’s style, which was criticized by his opponents and skeptics during his campaign as just that, style without substance or experience, has elevated the level of discourse in this country (and beyond).   Despite any forgivable missteps during his first frenetic two months (it’s really only been two months) in office, there is no question that Obama’s intellect, public speaking ability and capacity to handle more than one challenge have reminded us what leadership and excellence look like.  We take pride once again in intelligent, transparent and trust-worthy decision-making.    As Obama takes responsibility, each of us needs to take responsibility to be the best that we can be — despite or because of these challenging times.

March Madness

No…not The NCAA March Madness.  I’m talking about the March Madness this year that has to do with workplace panic and confusion that’s been building, and building…and building for months during the global economic crisis.  The uncertainty on Wall Street with the down, no up, now down, a little up, and up again stock market.  The climbing daily tally of the newly unemployed — or worse the running total. The retailers who this month have moved beyond their going out of business sales to the very final status of “gone out of business.”  The increase in social networking activity as more and more newly unemployed connect and reconnect.   March has been a wild ride for managers looking to keep their teams focused on the task at hand despite the rising sense of panic and the psychological toll brought on by all this uncertainty.   Employees are looking to their managers for a sense of calm and confidence.   The really great managers will make sure that this month isn’t consumed by stress and paralyzing hand-wringing.  Smart managers are doing three things: 1) Walking the halls, listening to what’s said and what’s left unsaid…even when they’d prefer to just hunker down in their office;  2) Inspiring their teams by re-focusing on the common goals,  the context and meaning of the work; and 3) Recognizing the hard work especially in the face of tough challenges, leaner teams, smaller budgets and tighter deadlines.   The best managers will make sure that March Madness really is about basketball!