Vol 19, Issue 2, April 29, 2021

Want to Change the Climate in Your Workplace?

How deeply and dramatically this last year of pandemic stress has affected us all! Although there are signs of a different future, it seems we’re still swimming in more chaos and uncertainty than we ever could have imagined.

Stress easily morphs into negative emotions which can easily creep into our workplaces.  Wherever we work — from home, or an outside office — that negativity causes even bigger problems, from productivity issues to turnover. And, at home, it can cause family unrest as well.

That’s why you should know about my speaker, Nicole J. Phillips, author of The Negativity Remedy and kindness podcaster, whose podcast has just been listed as one of Oprah Winfrey’s top three best happiness podcasts.

Recently she has partnered with Dr. Neal Nybo, pastor and productivity consultant, to create an easy-to-implement system for eliminating negativity and replacing negativity with positive attitudes wherever you work.  

They explain it in their new book, Workplace Positivity, Guide & Workbook. In it they share 30 Micro-actions that will get you and your colleagues started. What’s it all about? Let’s take a look.

Creating Workplace Positivity – One Micro-Action at a Time

You’re familiar with the phrase, “Good things come in small packages.”  Well, the same could be said for small actions.  Heaven knows, we all have more on our plates these days than we often feel we can deal with. The thought of adding one more “to-do” could be the weight that tips us over the edge.

But Nicole noticed a peculiar effect of a certain kind of small package and amplified it to create a new approach to increase productivity and happiness through  small actions. In her reporting on kindness for her newspaper column, books, and podcast, Nicole noticed that small acts of kindness often created bigger results than were ever anticipated. 

Meantime, Neal was finding in his work with companies and organizations that just teaching people about being kind didn’t seem to have much impact. By contrast, he found that coaching people on how to change their behavior was making a big difference.

Nicole and Neal joined forces when they realized they each had found proven and repeatable ways to diminish negativity in the workplace.

Together they developed a workbook for clients in which they take a team approach throughout. In each chapter, one of them describes a proven thought process or activity while the other offers a brief insight. Their overall goal was to empower organizations to improve in ways that at the same time made working in them more gratifying.

“We want to help anyone who works, and primarily people who manage others, to eliminate negativity in the workplace through regular use of small positive actions,” Neal said.

“If CEOs, leaders, supervisors, and managers could express kindness in easy, simple ways, small ways, they could make a big difference within their companies with their employees. And, in turn, their employees have a positive impact with their customers. This is the most effective method I have found to impact a company or organization’s culture positively.”

Positive Impacts of Kindness

Nicole notes that acts of kindness have the power to impact three categories of people, many more than we might at first imagine. Studies have documented that when we do an act of kindness, first, we feel its positive impact; second the person receiving it feels the positive impact; and third, everyone who witnesses the act of kindness feels it too. 

The New York Times describes a micro-action as something so small that anyone can do it, and when you do it repeatedly over time, it has a very large impact.

“Start simply, start with the personal,” Neal recommends. “We are all writing texts or emails all the time or on the phone. Too often, we jump right to the meat of the conversation.”

“We all appreciate getting to the point quickly, but if you can start with a personal question (For example, ‘Hey, how was your weekend?’ or ‘How did your spring break go?’ etc.); your interest helps the person on the other end realize that you actually care about them as people.”

“It spawns a level of trust,” he continues. “and creates positivity so that, whatever we’re going to talk about next in the conversation, it will all go more smoothly because we just started with a personal interaction.”

The authors present 29 more of these micro-actions. The book was actually created as a companion piece to Nicole and Neal’s live or virtual presentations. 

They have discovered during the pandemic that when they have presented using the worksheets along with the workbook, the groups have gotten what Neal calls “spectacular results,” and the lessons have worked really well in groups in Zoom breakout rooms. It’s refreshing to hear and watch Nicole and Neal talk more about the book and their experience working together. Watch them in this short video.

To book Nicole and Neal for your organization, contact me at 503-699-5031 or inquire at barbara@speakwellbeing.com

As they mention in the video, their book can be ordered at Amazon or by clicking here.

Spring Has Sprung

Ahhhh. . . everyone I know here in Oregon has been itching to get outside.  Bring on the sun! It’s actually been a dry April and, in contrast to our usual wet spring conditions here, we could use some rain! 

To get outside for some inspiration a few weeks ago, I visited the local tulip fields and picked my own fabulous bouquet of mixed colors. 

I placed the vase squarely in the middle of my dining room table – right in the center of my home – so that I could see them every time I went anywhere in the house. Watching the various buds unfold over that next week put a smile on my face every time I walked by the vase.

Then just last week, the pots I had planted on my deck on a cold, wet day late last year, yielded their treasures. Looking at them brings me such pleasure and joy, I just wanted to share that with you in this photo.

Until next time, take care of yourself for your well being and those you love.

Barbara

 

 

For Your Well Being is published with the intention of bringing you insider speaker reports, exclusive stories about special events around the country, meeting planner tips, and fun stuff from the worlds of health and well being. Be well and be in the know!

The Speak Well Being Group is a specialized speakers bureau, focusing on health and wellness for all types of organizations that want to foster health and well being for their employees, members, clients, and in their communities.

We hand select our speakers, and they are not only experts in their fields, they inspire and motivate attendees. Our ultimate goal is to make a positive difference in their lives — a sense of well being, ease, and hope — and likely enjoy some laughter and levity along the way.

Finding the perfect keynote speaker for your special event or conference is my personal passion, not just once, but year after year. It brings me great joy to know that your audience was delighted and moved by the speaker we selected together. I’m committed to making the process easy, pleasant and fun