In his book The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an Environment that Energizes Everyone, management and leadership consultant Shawn Murphy tackles the challenge and argues that our best work is the product of a positive environment. “How it feels to work within an organization is a critical workforce development issue. We need more leaders who are willing to choose to set a positive tone for their teams despite what senior management isn’t doing.”
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There are a number of common missteps; however, the biggest one is not believing that optimism in the workplace is even possible.
“Taking responsibility, building alliances, deepening personal interest, motivation, commitment, and loyalty—all of these things are possible when you deliberately and strategically focus real effort and make employee optimism a real and measurable metric,” says Murphy. “You can position employees to believe that work is a bright spot in their life.”
Murphy identifies five other common missteps.