Increasing Expectation Positively!

At your next staff meeting lead your team through the following discussion and exercise.

This exercise is focused on getting people to perceive things positively. The exercise goes like this:

Make the point to your team that they have the power to perceive virtually all things either from a positive or negative perspective.

Lead a discussion asking for attendees to offer up negative circumstances resulting from a well-known tragedy.

As an example let's consider the tragedy involving the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Creating this "list of negatives" will come easily for the participants given the nature of the disaster. For example: The loss of life, the potential effects for radiation on the ground, the devastating blow to the space program, the children and families effected by the loss of loved ones, etc.

In the interest of time and keeping your entire team fully engaged, make the list no longer than 8-10 items.

Next, ask the group to come up with a list of positive outcomes from this experience.

(Hint: This will actually be more difficult for the group because it is hard to voice optimism when talking about personal tragedy. However, you can offer up a few of your own ideas to get people started thinking from a different point of view.)

For instance some positive outcomes are:

- The space program will learn from this disaster and become even more safe for future flights ? thus saving countless lives.

- The nation came together from the crisis, which is good for the solidarity of our country.

- The family members will remember their deceased as American Heroes and throughout history their family will take pride in his/her commitment to space exploration.

- The focus on the tragedy from the national media will inspire a new generation of space enthusiasts. Perhaps a child will become the greatest space explorer of all time as a result.

Now, challenge your team to come up with 5 additional positive outcomes. You will be surprised now by their creativity and renewed vision for what is possible.

Lastly, go through the exact same exercise. This time however, choose the following topic appropriate to your own business. Here's the challenge:

"Revising our production goals UP by an additional 15%."

After going through the negatives first (limit the list to only 5 items), then go through the positives, and allow your team to have a lengthy discussion on HOW this 15% production increase will be achieved. In effect, let them create a mini action plan.

Once the group has agreed on how to increase the production by 15% you can ever-so-gently inform them that "the goals did NOT just go up by 15%, only 10%! BUT, now that we have a plan for achieving 15%, don't you think we should use it?"

Have fun with this exercise! It shows people you are a leader with vision and that you understand the power of perception and belief.

Hopefully, it will also show your team that you have a good sense of humor and that you can relate to their concerns. This exercise makes for a terrific opportunity to "CONNECT" with your employees.

Show your team that it's ok to have fun while increasing expectations.

Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools, Inc. His web site, http://www.leadership-tools.com is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today's aspiring leaders. Offering high-quality tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.

---

Give Your Attitude A Little Altitude

Need a way to make your life a better place... Read More

Time To Give Up Resentment

Resentment isn't a spectacular emotion, but it is long-lasting and... Read More

Not Getting What You Want in Life? Your Thoughts Could Be the Culprit

Unhappy? Stressed out? Do you feel you not only want... Read More

Star Wars the POSITIVE Effect !

In many ways the Star War movies are simply a... Read More

It?s All About Beliefs

Changing your mindset can have a significant impact on achieving... Read More

Feel Those Feelings and Develop Emotional Intelligence

There is an old joke about a man who is... Read More

Failure is Only Feedback

Does the thought of failure send a cold shiver down... Read More

Develop Yourself - The Power Within

Living without limits. Living your life to the fullest. Living... Read More

Your Frame of Mind May Determine Your Health

The mind absolutely amazes me. It will never be understood,... Read More

Self Confidence and the Way You Use Your Words

The way we use language can have a huge impact... Read More

An Exercise To Open Your Mind To Your Possibilities

Everything exists twice. First, in your mind. Later, before you... Read More

Choose Wisely

During these times of uncertainty in the outside world, look... Read More

From The WorkWise Collection: Transform Your Fears into Positive Power

Fear is a double-edged sword. It can hold you back... Read More

Just Another Day

During a Messenger chat session the other day, I asked... Read More

Our Beliefs Define Our Limits

The universe is vast, it's dimensions inconceivable, it's potentialities unimaginable,... Read More

Using Negative Experience to Discover Your Strength

"Someone was hurt before you; wronged before you, hungry before... Read More

Penury Perpetuates Poverty

So...you might just believe I hide behind computers creating and... Read More

Thoughts are Things

You've probably heard this idea at one time or another.... Read More

Mind Games!

Have you ever been caught up in a thought that... Read More

Our Worst Enemies

Most of us love to think that our problems are... Read More

Positive Thinking: Polyanna Syndrome

Why do we have such a downer on Pollyanna? After... Read More

Change in the Workplace: Don?t Fear It; Use It!

Every day something changes at work: your products, your customers,... Read More

Self-Confidence Secrets: Measure Your Successes

Would you like to be confident in the things you... Read More

Strength Within

For the twelve hundred hostages, most especially Timur Kasumova.It's a... Read More

You May Not Be Able to Manage Change - But You Can Manage Your Response to It

Your response (reaction?) to change is conditioned by your entire... Read More

The Enchanted Self - Thats Each of Us!

In my years as a psychologist, I have come to... Read More

Fearing the Future: I am what I Fear!

When we were children, we were fearless. We would stick... Read More

Managing Your OCD, Panic Attacks, and Obsessive Thoughts

There are times that we encounter fearful thoughts that can... Read More

Are You Inviting Misery into Your Life?

Often, I've come across individuals who, while in conversation, will... Read More

Becoming Excellent: Outsmarting Racism

Thinkers know better than to be racist. It's generally understood... Read More

Is The Glass Half-full Or Half-empty?

Keep focusing on the fullness of your life: Keep remembering... Read More

The Gift of Envy

The summer I was 20 years old, I worked as... Read More

Change

One thing in life is certain---change. Things never stay the... Read More