Have you ever heard the saying, “People quit managers, not companies”?  Maybe you have been in this situation before.  You are happily employed and one day, the manager whom you have forged a great relationship with for a number of years is being promoted and the new manager is someone that you simply cannot stand and now, for the first time in your employment at this great company, you are thinking of leaving.  Or, maybe you landed a job in a company you have always admired and wished to work at, only to be under the direction of a manager who didn’t seem to match your perception or reputation of the company, and now you have a tarnished view of what the company actually stands for if “they allow this manager to stay working here”.

Here’s a hard question to deal with.  Are you this type of manager?  Do you have staff who have worked with you forever?  Do staff members come in and out of your business as if through some sort of revolving door?  If asked, and promised that their answers would never be disclosed, what would your staff say about you and your management style?  Have you ever asked them?  Are you afraid of what you might hear (if they are honest)?

Many of us spend more hours at work than we do with our family.  Many of us sacrifice time spent on ourselves for time spent in the workplace.  We have people that depend on us.  We are responsible.  We have to work.  So does your staff.  What can you do provide a workplace where people get up in the morning and look forward to?  Ok, at least an environment that they don’t hate.  (we can start there)

What if I told you that this is easier than you think?  What if I told you that some simple changes in your behavior could carry with them some very impactful, positive results?  What if I told you that you actually have much more control over your environment than you once thought?  What if I told you that YOU are usually the problem and everyone around you knows it but YOU?!  Well, my friend, I am here to tell you all of these things are true.

I could write for days on this topic, but I am going to focus on just one of these simple changes that will yield immediate results and hopefully motivate you to discover other ways to create a better workplace for yourself and your staff.  I could go on and on and tell you about my second favorite behavior change, Active Listening, but that will be in a future post.

Are you ready?  Are you sure?  It’s mind blowing!  It’s going to change your life!  Here it is….wait for it…wait for it…..SMILE!  I know this sounds corny, but try this.  If you doubt me, first try it in a place where you don’t know anyone around you and maybe this place is not so much fun to begin with.  Try the Post Office or the License Bureau.  Both are a real test of patience and tempers can often flare up like brush fires!  Pick a place, any place.  Go there.  Look around you and turn it on!  SMILE!  Make eye contact, SMILE!  Speak to people with a SMILE on your face.  Heck, try this on the telephone.  Say what you are going to say, but force yourself to SMILE while you are speaking.  When you see the results this has, then take it to the workplace.  If you are the manager, leader, business owner, etc. you have a duty to always be in a better mood than anyone who works for you.  Some days (many) it will be difficult, but you must be in a better mood than anyone else because your behavior is emulated by staff and customers and it is similar to making a copy of a copy, the quality with every copy gets poorer and poorer.

Here’s the best part.  As attitude suffer and problems arise as a result, guess what?!  They all come back to you!  So do yourself a favor and start everyday by forcing yourself to SMILE and see what happens.

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