There are many ways to view the upcoming workweek. They can range from joyful delight to utter dread. It is a matter of attitude. The work situation is not going to change. Only you, the person in the situation can change your thoughts and actions. It is much easier to blame people, places, and situations around you for your misery, but it’s not going to help anything.
How can we make Mondays matter? Here are a few ideas to help us take ownership over our Mondays for a better work attitude.
Dress for Success: Wear a professional outfit that feels good (and meets your office policy). If you are required to wear a uniform, wear an accessory or something underneath that is meaningful to you. Dressing with confidence helps us feel good about what we do.
Map out a plan: In the first hour of the day, take time for yourself to write down ideas of tasks you want to accomplish. Write freely, don’t edit your thoughts. Then, write down a few things that you need to do to accomplish those tasks. Be realistic with your timeline. They don’t all have to be accomplished in a few days. Try this on Monday, or mid-week refresher, or even Friday afternoon for the next week.
Set a value goal, then make a note of how it was accomplished: It is easy to create a long to-do list and feel accomplished when they are completed, or possibly discouraged when left undone. Instead of a task-to-do list, write down one value or ‘soft’ skill you want to accomplish. For example, collaboration. Let the idea of collaboration guide your day. Think about how you’d like to collaborate with others. At the end of the day write down some of the actions you took, and identify how they relate to collaboration. If you can’t think of any ways that you collaborated, write down a few ideas on how you can collaborate with others the next day. Feel free to ask a trusted co-worker or mentor ways you can collaborate with others if this is a skill you want to develop.
Mondays can be hard after coming off a fun or restful weekend. They don’t have to be. Make Mondays matter, taking ownership of your day.
Good Practice:
1. Dress for Success
2. Map out a Plan
3. Set a Value Goal
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Acknowledging others
It feels good to be acknowledged. We do our work because it is our job, and we are required to meet expectations. We go through the motions on some tasks, and we may put in extra effort on other tasks. Usually we don’t expect a ‘Thank you’ for everything we do, every time we do it. However, it is nice to feel that our work is appreciated and what we are doing is making a difference.
When I am craving acknowledgement, it can lead down different paths. I can get angry at my superiors for not giving me attention. I can get jealous that my coworkers are doing cooler projects or getting more praise. And, as my last blog mentioned, “comparison goes nowhere.” The best thing I’ve found to help myself get out of the ‘I’m not getting acknowledged’ mindset, is to acknowledge others.
There are many ways of acknowledging others. An easy way is to write a short note to your coworker. Be specific. Acknowledge a specific action he has done. Express what it meant to you, and how it improves your work experience or benefits the organization. Writing these notes help us recognize there are great things going on around us. It strengthens our ability to be grateful for our relationships in our work environment. It gets us out of our negative thinking and valuing others.
Recognize how your co-workers like to be appreciated. Is it with written words, verbal affirmations, public recognition, one-on-one quality time, small gifts, or an extra hand on a task they are doing? If it is hard to tell, ask them directly. Gary Chapman is known for his books on love languages, and has a book on appreciation in the workplace.
Appreciating others gives us a sense of connection and camaraderie with our co-workers. If we don’t know where we stand with our manager, it is appropriate to ask for feedback. With respectful intentions, express that it is important for you to know that you are bringing value to the organization. Share a few ways of how you like to be appreciated. You manager might think she is acknowledging you, but she may be communicating on her terms, but not on yours. Discuss ways with each other how you and other co-workers can feel appreciated. If your manager is not responsive to this idea, consider taking the lead in acknowledging those around you.
Showing appreciation for others around us not only makes them feel really good, it helps us feel better about ourselves.
Good practice:
1. Observe a few co-workers. Notice tasks they do and how they do them.
2. Observe or ask them how they like to be appreciated.
3. Take time to write a personalized note fore a specific action they did and how you felt about it.
4. Make it a practice to appreciate a different co-worker once a week (or time frame that works for you).
When I am craving acknowledgement, it can lead down different paths. I can get angry at my superiors for not giving me attention. I can get jealous that my coworkers are doing cooler projects or getting more praise. And, as my last blog mentioned, “comparison goes nowhere.” The best thing I’ve found to help myself get out of the ‘I’m not getting acknowledged’ mindset, is to acknowledge others.
There are many ways of acknowledging others. An easy way is to write a short note to your coworker. Be specific. Acknowledge a specific action he has done. Express what it meant to you, and how it improves your work experience or benefits the organization. Writing these notes help us recognize there are great things going on around us. It strengthens our ability to be grateful for our relationships in our work environment. It gets us out of our negative thinking and valuing others.
Recognize how your co-workers like to be appreciated. Is it with written words, verbal affirmations, public recognition, one-on-one quality time, small gifts, or an extra hand on a task they are doing? If it is hard to tell, ask them directly. Gary Chapman is known for his books on love languages, and has a book on appreciation in the workplace.
Appreciating others gives us a sense of connection and camaraderie with our co-workers. If we don’t know where we stand with our manager, it is appropriate to ask for feedback. With respectful intentions, express that it is important for you to know that you are bringing value to the organization. Share a few ways of how you like to be appreciated. You manager might think she is acknowledging you, but she may be communicating on her terms, but not on yours. Discuss ways with each other how you and other co-workers can feel appreciated. If your manager is not responsive to this idea, consider taking the lead in acknowledging those around you.
Showing appreciation for others around us not only makes them feel really good, it helps us feel better about ourselves.
Good practice:
1. Observe a few co-workers. Notice tasks they do and how they do them.
2. Observe or ask them how they like to be appreciated.
3. Take time to write a personalized note fore a specific action they did and how you felt about it.
4. Make it a practice to appreciate a different co-worker once a week (or time frame that works for you).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)