How do our behaviors impact the way of working?

Thomas Friedman says: "Pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists.” Behind that quote, I want to reflect on the power that our thoughts and emotions have on our behavior.

When I finished university I thought all the answers to the problems I will have in life and work could be found in books, and you just have to apply as if you were cooking a recipe. As I started working I noticed that this "idea" will not work in building a team. So after some years of experience, I realized that something that I was hiding was the key to building the way I work.

I can say to you that the success of any team depends on the collective behavior of its members. As a leader, it's important to understand that thoughts and emotions play a crucial role in shaping the behavior of individuals within a team. This is why it's vital to pay attention to the behaviors we observe and to develop ways of working that take into account the impact of thoughts and emotions on performance.

Thoughts and emotions are like two sides of the same coin; our thoughts can affect our emotions, and our emotions can influence our thoughts. For example, if someone has a negative thought about a task they have to complete, it can lead to feelings of anxiety or stress. This, in turn, can impact their performance on the task, making it more challenging to complete. On the other hand, if someone has positive thoughts and emotions about a task, they are more likely to perform better and complete it successfully.

How can we connect this with our way of working?

I think team collaboration in shaping our behaviors is key to building our way of work. When team members work together, they can help each other to overcome challenges and support one another in achieving their goals. This type of collaboration can help to build a positive team culture and create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, here comes the "psychological safety" that Aristotle′s project find years ago.

So which behaviors could help us to encourage this aura?

1. One way to encourage collaboration is to have open and honest communication within the team. This allows team members to share their thoughts and emotions and to understand the perspectives of others.
2. Another way to encourage collaboration is to create opportunities for team members to work together on projects. This can help to build relationships, foster teamwork and create a sense of shared ownership of the work being done.

Our behaviors do impact our way of working, and if we realized that before that we have a process called "thoughts" and "emotions", we can take advantage of teaching how to filter in a collaborative way. Filtering thoughts and emotions in a collaborative way can help to identify and overcome challenges faced by the team. This can lead to better problem-solving and decision-making, which can improve performance and help the team to achieve its goals.

PD: I am understanding how the AI algorithms work, loving how the mix between human and technology improve our thinking! I encourage you to use it.