This week I stopped in to see a colleague of mine who co-founded a company called Nurse Next Door. The company has won many awards and been recognized for best employer and most admired corporate culture. What struck me immediately when I walked through the door was the positive, uplifted energy. You could literally feel it. Team members were friendly, respectful and open. It was so refreshing. An enlightened workplace doesn’t mean things are perfect. The same workplace issues will always be there; personality clashes, a looming crisis, processes that are imperfect. What is different is how people react and interact with these issues. An enlightened workplace occurs because people choose to react constructively, to interact with skill and openness. Each of us has the power to contribute to a sane, positive work environment. It starts with you.
Contributing to a healthy workplace requires intention and awareness. We need to take responsibility for our words and actions and be willing to look at whether we are helping or hindering a situation. I often wish that in addition to the automatic Spell-check, my emails had an automatic Happy-check. I want to be reminded when, in my haste, I am about to press send on an email that sounds critical, harsh or curt. Our interaction with others has a direct impact on them. Why not make that interaction as positive as possible? This doesn’t just help the other person; paradoxically, it does a lot for us too.
Five Ways to Contribute a more Enlightened Workplace
- Don’t take things personally. Other people might be having a bad day and you can acknowledge that; you don’t have to join them.
- Be kind. Always.
- Be yourself. We do not need to waste our time trying to guess what others are thinking, or trying to please people, or impress people. Being you is powerful enough.
- Know what you believe in, and stick to it. As soon as you wander from your ‘core’, from your values, it is a slippery slope to discontent.
- Laugh. ...a lot; after all, it’s just work
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