How To Maximize Your Joy & Savor The Holidays

4 Ways to savor your joy and the holidays

Why Savoring Is Linked to Happiness?

Consciously savoring the good things in life is important because neuroscience research suggests that our brains have a negative bias. Negative things tend to stand out in our minds, while positive things tend to be easily dismissed or forgotten. 

Considering this, it’s perhaps not surprising that savoring — or being good at taking in good things — is linked to increased well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, and decreased depression.

4 Ways to Savor Joy

  1. Bask in happy moments.

Much like the practice of mindfulness, this type of savoring involves being present in the current moment and aware of sensory information. But unlike mindfulness, which emphasizes detached observation, in-the-moment savoring involves actively seeking out and soaking in positive emotions.

Try it out: Try selecting a few specific moments or events over the next week that you plan to savor. 

  1. Wear your joy on your sleeve.

Another way to elevate your positive experiences is through your non-verbal behaviors and expressions. We typically think of our physical reactions as simply the result of our emotions (for example, we smile because we feel happy).

However, science suggests the chain reaction goes both ways — smiling actually makes us feel happier while hunching our shoulders and crossing our arms can make us feel more upset.

Try it out: This holiday season, try intentionally laughing, smiling, hugging, exchanging high fives, jumping for joy, and doing the happy dance to amplify your happy moments.

  1. Engage in positive mental time travel.

We all have the ability to “time travel” within our minds to a more positive moment — whether it’s sometime in the past or in our anticipated future. Studies show that vividly reminiscing over positive experiences and eagerly anticipating future joyful occasions can boost your happiness levels, both in the moment and over time.

Try it out: Think about a time when you felt so happy, you thought you would burst. Remember how you felt in that moment (Giddy? Grateful? Excited?). Replay the event in your mind as if you were reliving it. 

  1. Share your gratitude with others.

While the first 3 savoring strategies can be done solo, this last one requires connecting with other people. Research suggests that sharing positive events with others is a great way to further amplify and savor the good things in your life. This strategy works best when you share with someone you’re close to and when that someone is likely to mirror back your positive emotions.

This creates an upward spiral of positivity. In fact, some research suggests involving others in your savoring can not only increase the positive impact of events but can also boost your mental and physical resilience.

Try it out: Do some savoring with others this holiday season by taking the time to connect with people who are important to you. 

Source: CCL

Everyone at Aha!Leadership wishes you and your family the most wonderful holiday season!

 

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

Conversation Starters

With Conversation Starters on Catalyst, teams have an easy and fun way to tackle common challenges that hinder performance and move to tangible change. By combining DiSC with simple discussion guides, teams can talk about personality-based differences and how they affect group performance.

You will:

  • Get to know each other faster
  • Communicate more clearly
  • Make better decisions together

Getting started is easy!

  1. Visit the Your Groups feature on Catalyst
  2. Create and save a group with people in your organization
  3. Click into Conversation Starters and choose a topic

5 Steps to Engage the Heart and Mind at Each Stage of a Conversation

5 Steps to engage the heart and mind in a conversation

As a leader, you will navigate a business landscape demanding speed, adaptability, and courage. You’re faced with balancing swift decision-making with a need to initiate and engage in discussions on vital topics such as performance, profitability, and change management. These are important conversations, and let’s face it, they can sometimes feel tough.
The following five steps provide a framework to prepare key messages to achieve the objectives of the conversation (practical needs) and consider how to engage the heart and mind at every step, ensuring people feel valued, understood, supported, and respected (personal needs).

1. Open: Clearly describe the purpose of the discussion and explain why it’s important.

2. Clarify: Seek and share information about the situation. This step is often skipped, but remember you may not have the full picture. Be curious about the situation and listen with empathy.

If you demonstrate an understanding of the context elements, people are more likely to trust your intention. Overcome resistance by sharing data to support your perspective:

  • I can see this caught you off guard. Why don’t I share the survey data, and we can discuss how to address the problem?”

Oversee this step if you are on the practical side of the continuum.

3. Develop: Use your understanding of the situation to seek and discuss ideas. Explore needed resources and support.

It is often useful to involve others to share their ideas and suggestions before offering your own. Involving people sparks their creative energy and can generate better ideas. But most importantly, when you involve others in the ideation, they will be more committed to putting their own ideas into action. Overcome resistance by sharing your own experience:

  • “What am I supposed to do now? I’ve never dealt with this before.”
  • “The first time this happened to me, it was a real blow to my confidence, but it helped me grow. Let’s come up with ways to mitigate the issues.”

  1. 4. Agree: Ensure understanding and agreement of who will do what and by when. If you end the discussion without agreeing on actions, you risk people leaving the discussion unclear about what to do next. Confirm how to track progress and offer support. Watch this step carefully if you are on the personal side of the continuum.

  1. 5. Close: The closing gives you a chance to briefly summarize what was discussed and agreed to. This helps ensure commitment to actions as well as builds both parties’ confidence and esteem in achieving the plan.

Source: DDI, 2023

“Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.”
– Charlie Kaufman

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

DiSC Management

Management on Catalyst uses Everything DiSC to provide insights about an individual’s personal management style while also providing tips on how to improve the following management specific skillsets:

  1. Directing & delegating
  2. Creating a motivating environment
  3. Developing talent
  4. Managing up

Everything DiSC Management on Catalyst will guide managers with specific tips on how to perform these tasks with anyone on their team. The DiSC Management tips on Catalyst are unique because all of the information is personalized to the user. The insights provided are dynamically customized based on a user’s personality style.

3 Steps on How to Lead with Emotional Intelligence

how leading with emotional intelligence drives engagement

When emotions run high, it may be tempting for leaders to want their teams to discard their feelings at the door, focusing on the work at hand. But attempting to create a feelings-free workplace is never the solution. Leading with emotional intelligence will have a better short- and long-term payoff.

The problem is rarely that leaders are coldhearted. Rather, leaders feel the pressure themselves and are trying to control their own stress. They are faced with monumental tasks to pivot the company and their teams. They feel the weight on their shoulders to show a brave face for their team and keep the cogs turning. And it may seem counterproductive to focus on feelings when there’s so much work to be done.

But ignoring their team’s emotions can lead to disengagement. Employees may struggle to put in the bare minimum effort. And high-performing employees become a risk for burnout and leaving.

Not only do business results suffer, but it can take a deep physical and mental toll on employee health.

That’s why leading with emotional intelligence is so important.

Step 1: Acknowledge Personal Derailers

Remember the classic airline advice to put your own oxygen mask on before assisting other passengers? We recommend a similar approach to leadership. When leaders don’t have a handle on their own stress, they will struggle to support others. As a result, their negative personal tendencies, what we call derailers, start to show up under stress.

Derailers are the “dark side” of our personality, and we all have them. These include personality traits like becoming argumentative, controlling, or impulsive under stress. We can’t change our personalities, but we can learn to manage our reactions and responses under stress.

4 Ways to Manage Derailers

  1. Anticipate upcoming stressful situations and ask yourself, “What outcome do I really want?” Then, if you start to feel stress coming on once you get in the situation, PAUSE and count to 10 (or at least 5!). Taking a moment before you respond can help make sure you respond in a way that reflects your intentions.
  2. Acknowledge, but don’t celebrate your derailers. If you overreacted to something, you could apologize. But apologies wear thin after a while. It’s not OK to use derailers as a justification, i.e., “I’m sorry, but I just had to say that…I am impulsive.”
  3. Manage your physical and emotional health to support keeping yourself in the best state of mind.
  4. Practice, practice, practice!

HR and leadership coaches can also help leaders manage their own emotions. They can help identify leaders who are under the most stress and talk with them about managing their emotional triggers. They can also help leaders pause by asking key questions such as “Which upcoming situations are most concerning?” Or “What type of outcome is important to you?”

Then leaders can begin planning for the challenges ahead of managing their own emotions while leading with emotional intelligence.

Step 2:  Read the Room

Leaders need to work on recognizing emotions in others. In other words, they need to practice empathy.

However, some leaders confuse empathy with sympathy. Empathy is the ability to understand other people’s perspectives. Sympathy is feeling pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune.

Many leaders struggle to show empathy because they think it means they have to feel bad for the person or they can only respond if they have faced similar scenarios firsthand, i.e., “I’m sorry you’re feeling so stressed. I understand why you didn’t get the report done.”

But that’s not the case. Empathy does not require you to agree with the person’s opinions or actions. It’s simply the acknowledgment of how they’re feeling and why they are feeling that way.

For example, a leader can empathize by using a straightforward formula:

“It sounds like you’re_(feeling)__ because / about ___(fact)____.”  

In an actual conversation:

“From all you’ve shared, it sounds like you’re overwhelmed because there are so many competing priorities right now.”

Empathy also doesn’t require leaders to have the answers.

Leaders often fall into the trap of wanting to “fix” situations for their employees, but until they have demonstrated true active listening by capturing the facts, feelings, and showing that they understand how the person feels then they cannot move to the practical next steps.  Acknowledging feelings of uncertainty, stress, and pressure to perform goes a long way to helping people feel understood. As a result, they can feel more engaged and motivated to be part of the solution.

Step 3: Be a Part of the Solution

The final step is the one that drives results. As leaders get a handle on their own emotions and the emotions of their teams, they can start to mobilize people toward what needs to be accomplished.

Leaders can mobilize their teams by seeking three things:

  1. Seek perspective: “What do you see as the biggest impact from the changes?”
  2. Seek help: “Which priorities seem to be competing the most?”
  3. Seek ideas: “What’s a better way I can communicate the priorities so you truly know what is a priority?”

And then comes the hard part: Leaders need to listen to and act on their team’s feedback. That doesn’t always mean doing what teams suggest. But they do need to find a way to acknowledge and incorporate comments into the final solution. Even when team ideas won’t work, leaders can build trust by sharing rationale for why suggestions will not be incorporated.

Source: DDI, 2023

“When awareness is brought to an emotion, power is brought to your life”. 
– Tara Meyer Robson

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

Agile EQ Edition

Everything DiSC Agile EQ doesn’t just measure a person’s EQ. It provides a foundation for improving EQ by focusing on observable behaviors that are measured by DiSC.
Agile EQ helps learners understand their emotional responses by using both the language of DiSC and a new concept called Mindsets. The Agile EQ Mindset map helps learners recognize what behaviors are associated with the different mindsets(below).

5 Can’t Miss Keys to Fostering Innovation in the Workplace

5 keys to fostering innovation in the workplace

In business, it’s critical to adapt to and create change in order to stay ahead of the competition. When you foster a culture of innovation in the workplace, the payoff can be greater business achievement.

It can’t just be the members of your leadership team who are tasked with coming up with ideas to do things better or faster. It requires a commitment and input from all levels of the company.

  1. Create opportunities for sharing ideas

Does your organization have a culture of innovation? Can your employees come to you with ideas? Or do you regard questions and suggestions as disruptive?

When employees have the opportunity to be innovative and contribute to your company’s mission and goals, it increases their level of engagement. They feel a part of a whole and see how their work moves the business forward. It’s a terrific motivator.

Your goal is to create an environment where sharing ideas is OK. Be receptive and appreciative of your employees’ interest and input. While every suggestion may not be something the organization takes on, the ideas are worth considering.

Once you tap into the intellectual capital of your employees, you – and they – may be surprised at what you uncover. But you may find there are some who are reluctant to get involved; they’re likely afraid of failure or think their jobs aren’t innovative or creative.

To pave the way for employees who are reluctant, consider having a group brainstorming session. Ground rules should dictate that there are no bad ideas. This is also where you make sure the more timid employees have an opportunity to participate.

Consider having everyone write their ideas on index cards and tape them on the wall. Or for a hybrid and remote team, create a survey that’s always available for individuals to share ideas. Whichever you decide, this makes it so the idea is the focus of attention – not the individual. This will provide the opportunity for all to share ideas, not just the superstars.

  1. Provide the right resources

You have to give your team enough time, budget and encouragement to truly innovate. They need all three resources to be successful.

Time is usually the resource that’s lacking. There’s never enough of it – we get embroiled in the daily to-dos and don’t consider future needs.

This may require a shift in culture for your organization. Allowing time for brainstorming, research, testing, failure, recalibration and implementation is difficult. It takes commitment and planning. Innovation and creativity don’t happen without the investment of time.

What can you do to provide the resource of time needed to foster innovation in the workplace?

  • Set aside weekly chunks of time for team discussions about what’s working or not working – and how it can be made better.
  • Challenge your employees to help you overcome an obstacle with an inventive way of dealing with it.
  • Split them into teams for a friendly competition on problem-solving.
  • Offer training and development on creativity, change, teamwork and motivation.
  • Embrace failure as just another step toward getting it right.

As for budget, are there resources your team needs to be more creative?

Does everyone have the right digital tools that will help create innovative solutions? Is there additional training needed for increased learning and development in new areas of focus? What’s it going to cost you to bring out the innovation on your team?

Encouragement is the secret sauce in fostering innovation in the workplace. The first step is to make clear the company’s key objectives so that new ideas focus on what’s important for the organization.

The next step is to make your workplace a safe place to take a risk. Remember, not everyone wants to speak up for fear of failure or rejection. But everyone has ideas – it may just take some time and practice to get them to share.

For ongoing encouragement and learning, suggest books or articles on creativity and innovation to help employees find out how to tap into their own creative ideas.

You also could have employees spend time job-shadowing someone in the company. It just might spur one of them to do their job differently to align better with company goals.

If you’re open to hearing about it, your employees will likely embrace the opportunity to make a positive change. Most people are surprised at how innovative they can be, given a chance.

  1. Promote freedom and flexibility

As we’ve discussed in previous blogs on how various generations like to work, many employees are more comfortable working wherever they are, rather than the confines of a cubicle or traditional nine to five schedule.

They feel restricted – especially from an innovation perspective – if they’re required to work a certain way, at a certain in, following very specific instructions.

It’s largely because of generations Y and Z that organizations are reconsidering how employees get work done. We’re seeing more workweeks that include alternate days off, flexible schedules, longer workdays with more days off, varied start times, remote schedules, etc.

While some businesses can’t afford to organize shifts based on employee preferences – customer needs take priority – some organizations can be more flexible on when employee productivity happens.

When your employees are working at a time, place and pace that’s best for them, they’ll be more apt to offer creative and innovative ways for getting work done. And, if they feel they have the freedom to work in the way that’s best for them, they’ll likely feel more valued and be more engaged.

Innovation can flourish, and your bottom line sees the result when productivity and employee engagement are at their peak.

A side note: The perception that a company has an old-fashioned work structure may make it difficult to attract and retain employees.

  1. Build a diverse team

What is the design of your team? Is it a diverse group of thinkers?

News flash: If you’ve hired like-minded people of similar experiences, backgrounds, skill sets, mindsets, age, etc., you’re on a path to innovation failure. For innovation to make a real difference, you need a variety of ideas.

Take a fresh look at your team. If they’re all like you, make sure your next hire is somebody who breaks the mold. Then, listen to them. Innovation doesn’t work if you hire people with varied skills and experiences but insulate yourself from their ideas.

Encourage your staff to experience new things, brush up on professional development and tap into what’s going on in your industry. When they learn about trends or new concepts through education, invite them to figure out how to incorporate those into their work.

  1. Work to individual strengths

Find the right people for each task. This may be different than a job description. It’s about productivity and where their skill sets fit best. You can enhance your employees’ innovation when the skills and tasks align.

Let’s say you’re trying to streamline your processes for greater efficiency. You might gather a group of workers together and charge them with finding ways to restructure the process.

You could pick your top four superstars and turn them loose on the project. But take a moment to think about it: Is there someone whose natural bent can bring something different to the team? Someone you wouldn’t typically seek out for a special project?

What about Joe? Although he usually stays in the background and lets other shine – because he believes there’s really no “innovation” or “creativity” in his job – you remember something: He’s the guy who reads math and statistics books for fun.

Could Joe’s acumen be the catalyst for a new process at your company? Joe – who never thought innovation was part of his job description – is suddenly the company’s newest innovator.

Given his success on this project, he’s ready to tackle the next challenge. You’ve just unleashed innovation in the workplace!

“Innovation is taking two things that exsist and putting them together in a new way”. 
– Tom Freston

Did you know this about disc?

DiSC is an assessment that aids with effective communication

Conversation Starters

With Conversation Starters on Catalyst, teams have an easy and fun way to tackle common challenges that hinder performance and move to tangible change. By combining DiSC with simple discussion guides, teams can talk about personality-based differences and how they affect group performance.

You will:

  • Get to know each other faster
  • Communicate more clearly
  • Make better decisions together

Getting started is easy!

  1. Visit the Your Groups feature on Catalyst
  2. Create and save a group with people in your organization
  3. Click into Conversation Starters and choose a topic

3 Ways to Kick Imposter Syndrome

Self-doubt: the mental troublemaker that surfaces throughout our career. Every time we think we understand it, it changes its form and strikes at the worst times. An estimated 70% of people experience feelings of self-doubt or inadequacy at some point, according to a review article in the International Journal of Behavioral Science. Commonly known as Imposter Syndrome, this phenomenon generally happens when starting a new job or a new role within a company. 

According to a recent Harvard Business Review article on the subject, “Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments.” A person consumed by imposter syndrome feels like a fraud because deep down they fear their ruse will be discovered, and everyone will know that they are not right for the job. 

If this sounds familiar, tell yourself to “Stop!” right now. There are many well-written pieces on the subject that describe the condition, the cause, and remedies. Today, we will address three strategies to help you manage this syndrome during the critical first 90 days on the job or in the new role.  
 Don’t view your fear as a detriment; instead, frame it as a sign that you care.

Fear can be both debilitating and motivating. When starting a new position, it is normal to feel anxious, worrying whether you’re well-suited for the role, capable of handling the responsibilities, or able to gel with your new colleagues. It is healthy to have these concerns, just know that your new colleagues are equally nervous. Change creates stress because there isn’t a roadmap. 

When doubts strike, take it as a sign that you need to turn your fear into action. Keep a journal during your first few weeks on the job to jot down your fears. Getting your doubts on to paper allows you to acknowledge the feeling and get it out of your way. Note your imposter syndrome as you create your P.L.A.N.S. (Prepare, Listen, Activate, Needs Analysis and Strategy). 

Recognize that you cannot control other people’s perceptions, only your response. 

At some point in your career, you probably were told that perception is reality. Although there may be some truth in this, managing other people’s perceptions is overwhelming, especially when you’re new. Doing so distracts you from fulfilling your purpose and the reason you were hired. Instead, create a system that helps you stay aware and provides you with insights. 

Your best bet is to ask questions and track who you frequently interact with. Keeping a log will help you identify patterns faster, specifically a person’s verbal and non-verbal signals. You can use a spreadsheet or an online note-taking application.

As you log others’ reactions, also note your own. You may not manage people’s perceptions, but you can work on how you react. By observing your own behavior right from the start, you’ll be able to identify patterns about yourself—good and bad.

After a year’s time, if there’s an opportunity to take part in a 360-degree review, do it! As humbling as an exercise like this can be, it can also help you highlight gaps in your own self-perceptions.

Don’t label yourself as an “imposter” for feeling unsure.

According to a Time magazine article, imposter syndrome strikes many personalities, particularly high achievers or those that view themselves as subject matter experts. For those individuals, the internal chatter can be particularly harsh. 

This is another good reason to keep a journal. As you jot down your fears, record the negative statements too. Every day review these fears and statements. Think about what may be behind these thoughts and focus on changing the conversation in your head. For every negative thought, counter it with a positive one.  

Track your daily wins, regardless how big or small they are. This enables you to end your day and week on a high note. Focusing on getting wins on the board and tracking them helps subdue feelings of anxiety. 

Finally, accept that you are in a perpetual state of uncertainty right now. Regardless of your position, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Remind yourself that this period lasts as long as it lasts. If the anxiety and stress that comes with change leaves you feeling paralyzed, focus on the next step you can take. Whether it is starting a project or answering an email, focusing on the next step forces you to stay in the present moment. This state of mental focus has a calming effect and keeps you productive. 

SOURCE: Talent Activators

5 Ways to Help Your Employees Manage Re-entry Anxiety

As many states are set to reopen, employers are developing new procedures to keep their teams and customers safe. While this includes a lot of logistical planning, the physical well-being of employees is not the only thing to consider. Employees will have different emotional and psychological responses to these changes. Regrettably, mental and emotional health is discussed less frequently.

Anxiety is a natural reaction to an uncertain future. Employees not only worry about their physical safety but their job security as well. If employers don’t help manage this anxiety in their employees, it will affect engagement and productivity.

Here are five things that employers can use as a framework to build re-entry plans and assess progress in their employees:

  1. Make employee’s well-being your top priority. Employees want reassurance that their companies will put people first. Companies are offering more support to frontline workers and more paid sick days. Addressing employee concerns and remaining committed to their health and safety, especially during difficult times, goes a long way.
  2. Be transparent. Employees want regular, timely updates with transparent information from their employers. Open two-way information is critical for employers to deal with the economic impact of the current pandemic. Organizations that are involved with their team and engage in ongoing dialogue will be better prepared for these difficult conversations.
  3. Take action to implement public health measures. According to the CDC recommendations, employers should: extensively clean and sanitize work areas, encourage sick employees to stay home and implement flexible sick-leave policies, promote personal hygiene, provide protective equipment, and screen employees before entering the workplace. Employees need to know what measures will be implemented and how they will be enforced. They need to be reassured that steps are being taken and measures will be updated as situations evolve.
  4. Train leaders and managers to support employees. Leaders and managers will shoulder much of the responsibility when returning to the workplace. Some companies are holding ‘re-entry training” to discuss topics such as dealing with ambiguity, building personal resilience, developing emotional intelligence, and leading hybrid teams. Managers will need to be familiar with signs of emotional distress and regularly check in with their staff.
  5. Offer flexibility. The large-scale work-from-home environment has demonstrated that work can be flexible and change with the environment. As workplaces reopen, leaders should expect pressure to maintain flexibility, particularly from employees with children and sick family members.

In efforts to keep employees physically safe, employers also need to consider the impact of the current pandemic on psychological health. Growing anxiety with re-entry will impact health and work performance. Taking interest and addressing this anxiety will help companies cope with this transition and perform better in the long run.

I would enjoy hearing what you are doing to help alleviate “re-entry” anxiety – email me at robyn@ahaleadership.com

Repurposed from  Harvard Business Review