A Guide to Positive Connections in the Workplace

Positive Connections in the Workplace

Developing positive connections in the workplace is vitally important if you want to succeed as a leader. I’m sure that we can all agree that regardless of the size of business you run, whether a start-up or a massive corporation, people tend to be more productive and creative when they have more positive connections.

So what creates a positive connection? To me, this is about knowing myself first and trusting the other second. When I understand how I feel in any given situation and believe that I am safe or not at risk, I relax and our relationship improves as I bring forward more of myself.

This, I believe, is a key to success as relationships are known to sustain the workplace. Having positive relationships facilitates good teamwork. Do you agree? Let’s take a look at why it’s so important.

 

Positive Emotions

Positive emotions can be described as any feeling where there is a lack of negativity. However, there is more to being positive than just thinking positive thoughts. Positive emotions are linked to Neuroscience, with research conducted by Dr Richard J. Davidson confirming that people who tend to have a more positive outlook activate more of the left side of their prefrontal cortex. Are you aware of how you feel? Have you learnt how to sit with your discomfort? Give yourself a break to process your feelings and make a choice on how to react. You’re capable of developing your brain to focus on the positive. It’s something that you can constantly work on through mindfulness meditation or any form of attention training.

 

Negative Emotions

Negative emotions are the complete opposite of positive emotions. You can describe it as any feeling that causes you to be sad or miserable. They can leave you feeling a dislike toward other people. It can also take away your self-confidence and your ability to feel good. Where positive emotions invigorate us, negative emotions tire and exhaust us. The constant development of your emotional intelligence is fundamental to identifying your emotions in different situations.

 

Effective Management of Employees

Having positive connections in the workplace also helps with effective employee management. The most successful corporations are those that are able to effectively engage with their employees. Better engagement of employees leads to increased productivity and increased productivity leads to better performance, which is what all corporations want. Think about how you manage your employees – what overall energy levels do you notice? If you need some help finding great strategies or ways to approach difficult or stuck relationships, take a look at our programme High-Achieving Women’s Leadership Academy. It’s an effective learning community that brings like-minded high-achieving women together. I can assure you that you’ll learn so much and share leadership strategies and skills to support you and those who work for you, to feel really good!

 

Diversity Promotes Innovation and Creativity

Having a diverse and inclusive workplace is crucial to increase innovation and promote creativity – especially among women. Corporations that have a diverse workplace are able to adapt to change, face problems and address issues much quicker. Their employees, who come from different backgrounds, bring unique talents and experience to the fold from which the corporation can draw upon to meet business objectives. Having a diverse workplace also brings with it a variety of opinions and viewpoints which often leads to innovation and out-the-box thinking. This way, your employees are able to make positive connections in the workplace by being encouraged to voice their views and participate.

 

Happy Employees

Happy employees are loyal and passionate. They work harder, longer, are often more creative and can be easily identified. What they’ll also do is project that happiness and passion that your customers will pick up on. They tend to delight their customers more, and when your customers are happy, you and your shareholders will be happy.  I have a saying which I believe is so true, how you make others feel about themselves says a lot about you as a leader. Remember, truly happy employees are the solid citizens of your corporation.

 

Encourage Social Connections

Leaders with strong social skills are able to get their teams to perform at their best through maintaining a supportive relationship and focusing on the strengths of their employees. Hence, they understand the importance of social connections in the workplace which aids productivity, creativity and is even linked to better mental health too.

 

Positive Connections in the Workplace

Building positive connections in the workplace are important for the wellbeing of your employees. Some key points to think about are how to build up your employee’s confidence through the promotion of positive emotion, effective communication, and encouraging social connections with one another.  Happy employees who feel good can achieve extraordinary results!