Thursday, December 19, 2013

Fuel of Gratification

"It's not happiness that brings us gratitude, but gratitude that brings us happiness." 

As we approach the end of the year and reflect what we did right and what we could've done better, we link each moment to an individual or individuals. Where we are today is a reflection on our self aspirations and the people that played an integral part in us meeting our aspiration. So why not take the time to say thank you? 

Today, I had the privilege of attending an Emptional Intelligence training with Michelle Sterling (@Leadgood) and Phoebe Swan (@Phoebesparkles). How can we balance the five key aspects of emotional intelligence below in order to be successful at our role.

Self-Expression 
Interpersonal 
Decision Making 
Stress Management 
Self-Perception. 

By being aware of these elements and taking the right actions to demonstrate each one, we are able to be more consistent and effective in any trait and behavior we bring to the table. 

Quality will flourish. Productivity will increase. Engagement scores will rise. 

Sometimes it starts with simple communication activities. One activity that was brought up today was to "infuse gratitude." 

So as you finish reading this post, reflect on who you appreciate and what actions they took that made a difference. 

On a final note I'll share a story of how my work day ended on a happy note. One of the directors of our organization has decided to retire the Friday before we go on our holiday break. He was always very brief and stern in his communications. He asked questions that challenged your suggestions in a positive way to ensure that the quality and reliability of our products will never be jeopardized. 

I didn't want him to leave without knowing how much I respected him so I wrote him a text. 

He wasn't in his office and I may not have caught him before five, from what he wrote back.  Given our work relationship to date, I decided to thank him in a short response and wish him a happy holiday. Not only did he make his way back from his meeting on-time to catch me, but asked me into his office for a minute. 

"I want to say you have great energy and enthusiasm and I appreciate that. Although I didn't know how to channel that all the time, you will be successful. Don't lose it. Thank you for that behavior." 

I smiled in awe. In the last three years, our conversations have been "what's the risk and what system will you put in place to eliminate or minimize that risk." Not only did I realize today that he was watching but that he cared. I applaud him day in and day out for his problem solving, assertiveness, independence, and reality testing skills (attributes of the Emotional Intelligence model) but his interpersonal skills never really shined. 

The recgonition and positive feedback was fuel for me to come back tomorrow with the same amount of adrenaline for success as today. 

For all my team members, mentors, managers, champions, brothers and above all mother- thank you for believing in me and challenging me when I need it. 

My leadership success relies on it. 

Happy holidays and may we strive to recognize and give thanks effectively and timely in the new year. 

No comments:

Post a Comment