As 2016 winds down, a number of people I know are still bummed out about the election, the cold weather and overcast days, or are ill. You may find this to be true in your workplace either with co-workers or your staff. Just a lot of grumpiness and pre-holiday stress right now.
So, if you are a leader, you may be wondering, “What can I do to respond to this grumpiness from my staff?” I offer you two responses for your consideration.
#1: Read to your staff a reflection written by Alan Cohen, an author, called Thank you for everything. It was written for Thanksgiving, but it is easily adaptable to any holiday or for any time when people think life, work and the world is not a pleasant experience. Make it your own to fit the situation. The premise of the reflection is a woman Zen master teaches everyone who comes to her with their problems is to find peace and healing by repeating, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.” This reflection will ground people and help them realize the many gifts they have in life which are often ignored. Click here for the reflection.
#2: Purchase James Autry’s book Choosing Gratitude – Learning to Love the Life You Have for every staff person. Jim is a former Fortune 500 executive, an author and poet. He also is a dear friend. This short book teaches you that gratitude is a choice, a way of living that means cultivating a spirit of thankfulness even through the negatives of life. Incorporate this book in your team meetings to talk about how team members can cultivate thankfulness in their work days. You might just find that some of the crankiness and little things that bother people dissolve after reading this book.
To everyone who follows my blogs, I thank you and am grateful for your following. I look forward to our continued learning in 2017.