Boosting Work Team Culture

I noticed on Monday the afternoon was a little longer, with the sun setting at 5:04 p.m. That’s 25 minutes more afternoon sunshine than on the winter solstice just over a month ago. This buoyed my spirits and put a smile on my face.

What little thing can you be grateful for to give yourself an energy lift regardless of what’s going on around you?

Is there something you can do to boost the energy of your work team? Maybe it’s as simple as pointing out the days are getting longer?

?? Stories to Help You Drive Change

Here are my shares for this week:

SPECIAL NOTE: If you hit a paywall, go to Google Search, enter the name of the publication and something about the story (author, title, subject) to get a link that may bypass the paywall. And hey, if you like the publication, consider subscribing!

• Wouldn’t it be cool to earn the nickname “Leader Maker”? That’s what “Aiko” did by advocating for her direct reports. She had a reputation for growing her team and people wanted to be a part of it. But advocating for others isn’t just for leaders. It’s something coworkers can do for each other, too. As we pioneer work teams for the future, see if you can borrow some ideas from this Harvard Business Review article to advocate for your teammates.

• While we are talking about your boss advocating for you, can you help them help you? Writing for Harvard Business Review, Melody Wilding suggests you: “1) Highlight what’s in it for them 2) Offer specific ideas 3) Give your boss a spiel 4) Implement a weekly win routine 5) Leverage reciprocity.” Details here.

• This article talks about how to succeed with a hands-off, remote manager and contains a great checklist that would work for ensuring you and your team are aligning your respective work and communications styles to improve productivity. For example, “Do I digest feedback better when my manager delivers it face-to-face? Or do I prefer to review their feedback in writing before discussing it?” Read the full article for more.

• I greatly admire Jefferson Fisher and his work to help us become more confident communicators. Now he’s launched his own membership program to help individuals improve how they interact with others socially and professionally. Learn more here.

• Is Alexa recording your conversations? Even the unprompted ones? If you want to be sure, click here and follow the prompts.

?? Increase Workplace Kindness With Our Downloadable Planner

Here’s the prompt for Week 10 from A Better Paradigm’s compassionate workplace planner:

This week, we encourage you to explore new pathways to widen your perspectives and increase your ability to learn from others. Try it!

Download the full, free planner/reflector, and let us know what you think.

Download Free, Fillable PDF!

?? Noteworthy: Survey by ChangingWork.org

We’re big supporters of Changing Work, a new organization providing business leaders with the resources they need to transform their businesses into compassionate workplaces. If you’re interested in contributing your thoughts about the challenges and opportunities you see in adopting kinder workplace practices, please reach out to me. I have a short survey that’s administered via a casual conversation between us. Everyone’s inputs will be used to help Changing Work develop resources to help accelerate and improve the paths to progress. Here’s my email: [email protected].

?? Do Good Spotlight: The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK)

The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen feeds the hungry and offers programs and services to encourage self-sufficiency and improve quality of life for people in the Greater Trenton Area. They deliver over 10,000 meals each week, six days per week, at their main Escher Street location and via more than 40 community-meal sites across the central NJ area. They also provide case management services, adult education programs, job search assistance, and creative arts classes, empowering those they serve to thrive, not just survive.

?? Just for Fun

Friends of mine, Pat Rodeawald and Jim Ambrosio, travel the world for the love of it. If you’re planning a vacation and want to know “the scoop” from real people who have not only “been” there but who explore the heck out of each place, check out their blog: “It’s What We Do.”

?Until Next Time…

I hope you can keep your focus where it will have the greatest returns! Enjoy the rest of the week and the weekend too!

Niki