5 ways to spread enthusiasm at work
There’s an old saying, “Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” It’s certainly true in business.
Enthusiasm. Energy. Excitement. Once it’s in the air, everybody seems to feed off it.
As founder and leader, you have to be the chief cheerleader in your business. Leading the cheer is not all you need to do, of course. But, it’s an essential ingredient for success.
Here are five ways to give your team, yourself, and your business a boost by injecting energy and enthusiasm into everything you do:
1. Go beyond skills
Some people on your team will have top-notch technical skills. Other people may have intangible aspects to their personalities that help your business accomplish great things. These are people who have “heart.”
A person with heart is someone with the will to win. They don’t give up, even when things look bad. A person with heart will provide encouragement through force of character and get others to keep going even when sales slump or your business is facing problems.
Develop heart in yourself and in others on the team. Encourage it by praising it when you see it. Call on the person with heart to communicate their optimistic attitude to the team in meetings when others start sounding negative. The person with heart can change the dynamic and move the mood from negative to positive in just a few words.
2. Appeal to passions
Address how people feel when you set goals and communicate. Don’t just use facts and figures.
We live in the age of big data and powerful analytics programs. It’s tempting to focus on numbers. Metrics are certainly important, but metrics measure outcomes.
Emotion is what drives outcomes. Get people fired up and they will accomplish amazing things.
Try to find what appeals to each person on your team. Do they crave praise and approval or have a competitive spirit? Are they someone who gets satisfaction from creating new things? Do they like being entrusted with more responsibility?
3. Celebrate accomplishments—small and large
Do you ring a bell in your company when a new sale comes in? Do you give employee awards or accolades? What about highlighting your accomplishments on the company’s website About Us page or in social media?
Lots of small businesses do these sorts of things, and so should yours.
In my company, we all work virtually, so we share our successes in a group Skype chat window. When someone makes a new sale or accomplishes something special, they share it. The others inevitably respond with thumbs-up emojis and celebratory GIFs.
Nothing breeds success like an environment of success, so be mindful about pointing out successes. And don’t forget to share your successes with customers. They get excited, too.
4. Be playful
Look, we all know business can be serious. But there’s always room for a little humor or something purely personal in business.
Got a crazy picture of your cat? Share it in the next team meeting. Put up a new fence in your backyard? Show pictures of the project. Want to show off your Halloween decorations? Go ahead.
It’s little personal glimpses that help us understand our co–workers better. And people look forward to interactions with each other when they feel relaxed with good personal relationships. Work seems like a more exciting and fun place to be.
5. Do something unexpected
Finally, give your team pleasant surprises.
When was the last time you gave an employee the afternoon off unexpectedly? Or sent your people small gifts? When was the last time you gave them a surprise bonus?
None of these things need to be large. It’s the gesture that counts. But you’ll love the extra goodwill and warm feelings you get in return when you give your team—or customers—something unexpected.