Building a positive culture in the workplace, part 5

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BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
TIPS FOR A BETTER WORKPLACE

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Martin Seligman, positive psychologist and author of the
2011 book Flourish, developed the PERMA model, which
details the five elements that must be in place for us to
experience lasting well-being.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
The five elements of the PERMA model are:
P: Positive Emotion
E: Engagement
R: (Positive) Relationships
M: Meaning
A: Accomplishment/Achievement

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
In this fifth installment of our PERMA model series, we'll
discuss the fifth element in the model, which is
Accomplishment/Achievement.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Think back to times when you may have competed in a
sporting event or supported your favorite team. Wasn’t the
team’s goal always to win? No one goes out to the field or
court with a mission to lose.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
This is true even when we want to master a skill (learning a
new language, perhaps) or accomplish a goal (writing a
book). No one sets these ambitions with the thought that
they’d like to fall short, give up, or not achieve what they set
out to do.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
This is because we are naturally programmed to want to
better ourselves. In doing so, we flourish and
experience well-being.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Therefore, there might exist a lack of contentment and
happiness among workers simply because these
individuals are struggling to realize their personal and
professional goals.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Perhaps they feel their dreams have fallen by the
wayside. Perhaps they feel they lack the proper tools,
resources, or support to work at their dreams. Perhaps
they feel that the workplace eats into time they’d prefer
to spend on other tasks.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
So how do we empower our team members and equip
them with what they need in order to experience
accomplishment and achievement on a regular basis?
In this presentation, we'll discuss 3 steps leaders can
take today.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Conversation
As a leader in the workplace, your team members look to you for
guidance and wisdom. You stand as a role model to what can be
achieved professionally. Your talents, gifts, and skills have allowed
you to accomplish your leadership role and as such, you stand as a
mirror to your team members, reflecting their own talents as well
as areas they can improve upon to find similar success.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Conversation
However, just as you can only see your reflection when you stand
in front of a mirror, you can only gauge a team member’s state of
being from a face-to-face conversation. We’ve discussed the
importance of team-building and engagement throughout this
series and it’s especially essential in the matter of achievement.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Conversation
Regularly ask your team members what their goals are. Where do
they see themselves in a year? In five years? What would they like
to have achieved? Are they interested in climbing the company
ladder? What are their professional goals?

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Conversation
Just as well, what are their personal goals? Are they secretly
aspiring to author mysteries? Do they want to travel the world? Are
they starting a family with their spouse? Expressing interest and
concern about your team members’ goals both big and small
builds trust, reliability, and community.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Support
Now that you know your team members’ goals, go out of your way
to assist them in their progress. If you’ve learned that a particular
team member’s accomplishment with a certain workplace task has
been delayed because they lack the proper skills to see it through
on a speedier timeline, connect them with a training program that
can up-level them.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Support
If you know another team member wishes to ascend the
workplace ranks and hold a higher position in a few years,
introduce them to the appropriate connections within your
workplace. Devote time regularly to reflecting on how you can help
develop your team members and they’ll thank you for it!

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Balance
We live in a world where accomplishment is highly-valued.
However, accomplishment should never come at the price of self-
care. Arianna Huffington from The Huffington Post has spoken at
length about the need for work/life balance in today's society.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Balance
If you find that your team members feel taxed, exhausted, and
‘burnt out’ by the tasks on their plate, have a conversation about
the obstacles that may be standing in their way. Are they struggling
to find meaning from the work? Do they feel ill-equipped to
complete the tasks because of a mismatch between their skills and
the job’s requirements?

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Balance
Is the task not challenging enough for them? When we strike a
proper balance in the workplace between skills and tasks, it makes
for happier team members.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Balance
Likewise, encourage your team members in their work-life balance.
There are many companies (Google, for instance) that even
encourage this within their four walls (on-site cafeterias, break
rooms where workers can take naps, etc). Other places offer
incentives like gym memberships, on-site yoga classes, monthly
personal development seminars, and more.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Balance
How can your company invest in the well-being of your team? The
return on your investment will be more productive team members
who are happier about the work they’re doing.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
Excel in these three action steps and you’ll not only
thrive as a leader but also build a team of workers who
are feeling accomplishment and achievement from day
to day, ultimately boosting team morale and creating a
positive working environment.

BUILDING A POSITIVE
CULTURE
We hope you enjoyed this presentation!
Visit www.shapingchange.com.au for more resources on
leadership development, change management,
emotional intelligence, and more!

Building a positive culture in the workplace, part 5

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Building a positive culture in the workplace, part 5