The role of positive emotions in driving results for your team

Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative; we're always focused on what could have gone better. We ask questions like, "How could we have achieved the same result with less time or money?", "How could we have generated higher revenue?", or "Should I have really made that comment at the end of the meeting?"

These are important questions, but they only look at half of the equation. The percentage of time we spend focused on what could be better vs what's going well is heavily weighted to the former.

This happens despite an incredible amount of research showing we're more likely to find meaning in our lives when we experience positive emotions. As leaders, focusing on the 10 positive emotions gives us a framework to provide more meaning for our teams, drive higher engagement, and yield more productive outcomes.

Let's take a look at the 10 positive emotions codified by Dr. Fredrickson and how we can apply them in the workplace.

Joy

Joy, like happiness, can be fleeting. Uncovering joy is about finding the quick, easy ways to celebrate. When a team member does something exceptional or when the team achieves a milestone - how are you taking time to celebrate? Can you send an email to the team or the office? Can you post a message on Slack?

Gratitude

Gratitude is about being thankful for what you have rather than focusing on what you don't have. As a leader, how are you leading midyear or end-of-year check-ins with the people on your team? Are you focused just on the places they can improve, or are you highlighting how you've seen them grow? Are you focused on just on what they've contributed, or also on the way they've impacted you and the team?

Serenity

When was the last time you received a handwritten thank-you note? How did that make you feel? Calm, at peace? Appreciated? As a leader, there are a lot of places to do this. At the holidays, you can write thank-you notes and mail them to your team. At the end of a project, you could send a handwritten note to your client.

Interest

Before setting goals, the first conversation I have with direct reports is focused on what motivates them and what they're interested in learning more about. Knowing this, we can work together to set 1-2 goals that align to the things they care about. But this can't just be lip services; we have to check in periodically to make sure they have the right work and support that creates space to explore their interests. It helps drive engagement across their entire scope of work.

Hope

Things don’t always go according to plan and sometimes we have to give difficult feedback or have tough conversations. In these conversations, focus on how to make the other person feel whole - having a concrete, approachable go-forward plan to remedy the situation.

Pride

At the end of a project, go further than the post-mortem. Ask what people are most proud of or where they grew the most on the project.

Amusement

As a leader, you have to be able to laugh at yourself. You set the tone for your team. What are the places to be more human and vulnerable? Is it sharing a ridiculous story that happened to you over the weekend? Just remember to do this in a way that's authentic to you.

Inspiration

Lead with the vision. Unless they're partners, have stock options, or receive profit sharing - your team probably isn't motivated by goals of "doubling revenue" or "reducing costs by 5%". Instead, how might you lead with the vision? This is what moves people to action.

Awe

Measure the impact of your work. Take intentional pauses to appreciate the impact it's having not just from a KPI standpoint, but from a human perspective. A deep sense of appreciation and awareness of the work's impact is a huge lever for engagement.

Love

Send flowers or something similar to a teammate who's going through a rough patch. It won't solve the problem, but they'll feel the love. My parents were involved in a bad car accident a few years ago and I had to abruptly leave Chicago to be with them. The team not just picked up my work, but sent flowers to my parents' home. It was a small token that meant the world.

Pulling it together

We can't focus on positive emotions all the time. There is absolutely time and place to focus on what we can do better. But there are absolutely places where we can shift the focus and crowd out the negative with a focus on positive emotions. It can provide more meaning for our teams, drive higher engagement, and yield more productive outcomes.

Take a look at your calendar. When is the next opportunity you have to intentionally focus on positive emotions with your team?