Positivity Produces Better Business Results. Here’s How to Cultivate it in the Workplace.

Recent research has overwhelmingly demonstrated that positivity is good for business. One study from Oxford University determined that happy workers are 13% more productive. Another, from Harvard Business Review, showed that happiness in the workplace can raise sales by as much as 37%.?

Happiness is internal, but it has abundant external benefits. Why? Because happy people project positive attitudes, and positivity is contagious. Negativity is contagious, too -?in fact, humans are biologically hardwired to absorb and reflect the emotions of the people around them.?

Consider that most of us spend about eight hours per day working. That’s a lot of time for a poor attitude to grate on your coworkers. Irrespective of your quality of work, persistent negativity repels the people around you, making it harder to forge the kinds of connections that propel a growing career.

The good news is people naturally gravitate toward true positivity. This simple phenomenon has endless benefits and can have a tremendous impact on your career.

However, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. In fact, it doesn’t come naturally at all; numerous thought leaders have talked about how positivity takes work, in and out of the workplace. Even if it feels like a challenge, here are a few ways to cultivate it.

Pay attention to the stories you’re telling yourself. If necessary, change the narrative.

Many of us - especially those of us with introverted tendencies - are our own worst enemies. That is, we psych ourselves out before we give ourselves a chance to enjoy something.

This can happen in the simplest of interactions. For example, instead of starting a conversation with a coworker, we tell ourselves that they don’t want to waste time talking to us, and we avoid them. Unfortunately, they might interpret this shyness as aloofness -?a disinclination to engage with the world.

Listen to the stories you tell yourself as you go about your day. Are your inner narratives negative? Do they prevent you from taking chances? If so, actively tell yourself the opposite stories, too. Most importantly, know that, until you make an effort, all stories are pure speculation. The narrative in your head doesn't always accurately reflect the world around you.

Recognize that positivity is a process, and adopt a slow, incremental approach.

Like any major goal, becoming a more positive person won’t happen overnight. That’s hard for our brains to take, as humans are naturally programmed to crave instant gratification.

Instead of expecting a 180° transformation right away, give yourself small, daily objectives that are easy to fulfill. Ask yourself: “What improvement can I make today?” Start a nice conversation with a coworker. Smile at someone you don’t normally talk to. Bring coffee to a colleague who’s as drained as you are at 3:00 p.m.

In the beginning, incremental improvements are low-risk, high-reward ways to show yourself the power of positivity. They will get you in the habit of thinking and acting positively. Over time, this will become more natural; major progress is the product of many incremental gains.

Be open with your coworkers and surround yourself with “positivity allies.”

One former colleague was beloved at the office because she was endlessly positive and managed to brighten the day of anyone she interacted with.

Well into our professional relationship, she revealed that she was incredibly, debilitatingly shy. She feared talking to people. It was a major effort of will to project as positive a demeanor as she did, day in and day out.

Through this, it became apparent that appearances really are deceiving. Someone’s outward behavior doesn’t guarantee anything about what’s happening inside. The most charismatic people you know may well be in a similar condition as this former colleague: projecting a radiant veneer, but fighting shyness or tentativeness.

All the more reason to be open with your coworkers. Tell them that you’re making an effort to be a more positive part of the team. It’s disarming (in a good way) to hear someone frankly tell you that they’re working on resolving a personal challenge. It may feel vulnerable to tell people that it’s hard for you, but more likely than not, people will relate and encourage support of your endeavor.

All of the above applies doubly to business leaders, whose behavior sets tones and standards from the top. In this age of emphasis on employee experience - and the customer experience it produces -?business leaders have an obligation to be beacons of positivity for their team members. In addition to the proven benefits of a positive employee experience, this will help you cut off negativity before it even begins to percolate.

Positivity takes work, but a team of people working together accomplishes more than any individual accomplishes alone. For all its benefits, tangible and intangible, work toward a more positive attitude at work, and recruit people to join you.