As a team leader, I experienced an incredible tipping point in which the positivity ratio far outweighed the negativity many of these workers had experienced for years. I had a very short stint as a team leader prior to going out for medical leave, but it was a memorable time that I will cherish. I remember exactly the point in which I realized that the positivity was paying off.
My boss, George Epstein, chairman of the Echo Group, tasked me with the duty of bringing everyone up to productivity standards and making sure they were meeting the requirements for the team. In one week, the team not only met the standards but they far exceeded them. All that was needed was positive and relatively immediate feedback.
I would start out the week with a highly encouraging email. In the email, I would reiterate the wins that were made last week and I would set the tone for the week ahead by clearly providing the goals and objectives. Throughout the week I made check-in calls, instant messages, Skype face-to-face calls and emails. Right before the end of the week I would give a status report to the whole team to let them know how close we were to achieving the goals.
During one of our Professional Services team meetings, which included not only the team that I led, but other teams, George made specific reference to the gains that were evident both financially and reported through customer service reviews on my team. I was dancing inside!
I then followed up immediately after the call with a specific congratulatory email to the group. It included data that was measurable and it let everyone know how much progress was achieved due to their hard work and effort. I then made a personal phone call to each member of the team to tell them "Thank You."
I copied George on all my communications and I distinctly remember him asking me if all that positivity was just a little over the top. I laughed. I said, George, it's working! He couldn't argue that. What these people needed was a cheerleader in their corner. They had plenty of knowledge. They had plenty of skill. They needed someone to back them and providing positive, authentic, encouraging statements of unconditional regard. Meaning that they knew it was okay if they failed, but they didn't want to fail. They wanted to do their best because they knew it was the best thing to do.
So what was the key ingredient to the success? What influenced the tipping point in favor of improved outcomes? It is something more than positivity and emotional intelligence. It has to due with what Thatchenkery (2006) has termed "Appreciative Intelligence." He states, that "Using Appreciative Intelligence, the person consciously or unconsciously reframes what is in the present, thereby shifting to a new view of reality that leads to a new outcome." (p. 6) These amazing people were waking up each morning with a new view that they could achieve and they did. They knew that their efforts were genuinely appreciated and it motivated them to work harder. They didn't get a pay incentive. They didn't get a prize. They simply got the kudos they deserved and it was real.
When I think of my really hard days at home, the ones where Grace has been crying, I am in pain and can't breathe or think and I am counting down the minutes to when Randall walks in the door, I distinctly remember the times where he has said, "Thank you." Maybe it is just with his eyes or maybe it is with words of gratitude, but when he hugs me and lets me know I am appreciated, I am willing to do it all again the next day.
We need that uplifting encouragement to keep us going. It refuels our tank. It is important for leaders to understand that our positivity impact not only our followers, but it also impacts our potential for selection as next in line for a promotion. According to Joseph et al (2015), "Leaders who stimulate positive affect in others are more likely to be selected into leadership positions." (p. 560)
At the time, I was not proving positive statements for a potential promotion. I wasn't trying to get a raise. I wasn't trying to land the CEO job. I was authentically trying to bring out the best in people that are truly amazing. It was a wonderful experience and I would love to have the opportunity to coach them again!
Joseph, D. L., Dhanani, L. Y., Shen, W., McHugh, B. C.,
& McCord, M. A. (2015). Is a happy leader a good leader? A meta-analytic
investigation of leader trait affect and leadership. The Leadership Quarterly,
26(4), 557-576. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.04.001
Thatchenkery, T. (2006). Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn. San Francisco: Berrett Kohler.
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