Susan Hoy’s TEAM TIPS
Fostering a Positive Work Environment

Fostering a positive workplace is something that can make your daily life - as well as the lives of your employees - a lot more enjoyable.

One way you can start is simple: Put on a happy face. No matter how you’re feeling, put a smile on your face. At least it will make others around you feel better. In other words, “fake it until you make it.” Stand up straight, walk with confidence, and use positive, empowering hand gestures.

Here’s an exercise: When feeling less than powerful, just take your fists and hit your chest the way that a gorilla would (behind a closed door if you prefer). It immediately changes your feelings. Before you know it, you will be feeling confident.

Focus on the positive. If you watch or listen to the news or read the newspapers, you could end up with a negative view of the world. But you need to put that information in perspective. Try to change your focus. Every day on the way to and from work, look for something positive to share with your fellow staff members. Make it an assignment for everyone on the staff to come to work with a positive event that happened in the world or to them personally, during the last 24 hours.

Look forward to something every day. It’s the little things that count. For instance, on Mondays treat your staff to a healthful breakfast. See how many new patients you can schedule on Mondays. Set a goal so everyone will be focused on new patient Mondays.

Wednesdays can be Pack a Day. Schedule as many regular patients as possible on this day. And if you and your employees barely have a spare moment on these “packed” Wednesdays, why not buy your staff lunch so they can have something to look forward to?

Make Thursdays Random Acts of Kindness Day. Pay the toll for the car behind you. Buy breakfast anonymously for someone dining alone. Compliment someone who never seems to get complimented. There are so many ways to create happiness for yourself and others. On Friday, you and your staff can share your random acts of kindness with each other.

Get out of a rut. Change something every day. Get up earlier. Get up later. Eat a different breakfast. Choose a different route to work. Take your kids to school instead of them taking the bus.

The practice of reinterpretation can change your entire life. Life is a choice. Every day when you open your eyes you can say, “Today is going to be an adventure, and I’m going to enjoy the experience.”

You, and only you, are in charge of your reality. In the end, you not only will you be creating a happy workplace, you will also help create a happy life for yourself and others around you.

Ms. Hoy speaks to chiropractic team members throughout the country and is an award-winning team trainer and consultant. She is the author of several books and a team-training manual. She writes a newsletter called “Team Work,” which focuses on chiropractic staff issues. Ms. Hoy served as office manager of Snyman Chiropractic Group in Center City, Philadelphia, for 11 years. She can be reached at 215-674-0130, or check out her website at www.beefitup.net.