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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Shawn Achor
Read between
July 18 - August 16, 2016
individuals who invest in their social support systems are simply better equipped to thrive in even the most difficult circumstances, while those who withdraw from the people around them effectively cut off every line of protection they have available, at the very moment they need them most.
Good to Great, Jim Collins illuminated a similar truth: “The people we interviewed from good-to-great companies clearly loved what they did largely because they loved who they did it with.”
Jane Dutton, a psychologist who specializes in this subject at the University of Michigan Business School, explains that “any point of contact with another person can potentially be a high-quality connection. One conversation, one e-mail exchange, one moment of connecting in a meeting can infuse both participants with a greater sense of vitality, giving them a bounce in their steps and a greater capacity to act.”
Glue guys keep players stuck together at those tough moments when it is most tempting to let go.
boss/employee relationship, what Daniel Goleman has cleverly termed a “vertical couple,” is the single most important social bond you can cultivate at work.
Studies have found that the strength of the bond between manager and employee is the prime predictor of both daily productivity and the length of time people stay at their jobs.
Gallup asked ten million employees around the world if they could agree or disagree with the following statement: “My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person,” those who agreed were found to be more productive, contributed more to profits, and were significantly more likely to stay with their company long-term.36
the more they ignore the power of social investment, the more they undermine both their company’s performance and their own.
when new hires enter an organization, leaders can take the time to introduce them to everyone,
Coercing employees into awkward icebreakers or forced bonding activities, like making everyone at a meeting share something about their private lives, only breeds disconnection and mistrust.42 Better that these moments happen organically—which they will if the environment is right.
Even the classically boring meeting, says Jane Dutton, can be designed in a way to foster high-quality connections. Meeting practices that encourage member contribution and active listening foster group commitment.
Forging a connection requires active listening—giving someone your full attention and also allowing them to have their say.
As Dutton explains, “many people listen as if waiting for an opportunity to make their own point.” Instead, focus on the speaker and their opinion, and then ask interested questions to learn more.
get out from behind the desk.
I often ask managers to write an e-mail of praise or thanks to a friend, family member, or colleague each morning before they start their day’s work—not just because it contributes to their own happiness, but because it very literally cements a relationship.
studies have shown that gratitude sparks an upward spiral of relationship growth where each individual feels motivated to strengthen the bond.49
wealth of evidence showing that our relationships are the greatest predictor of both happiness and high performance.
much of our behavior is literally contagious; that our habits, attitudes, and actions spread through a complicated web of connections to infect those around us.
Luckily, positive emotions are also contagious, which makes them a powerful tool in our quest for high performance in the workplace.
the happier we are at work, the more positivity we transmit to our colleagues, teammates, and clients, which can eventually tip the emotion of an entire work team.
the more genuinely expressive someone is, the more their mindset and feelings spread.
when we model the type of mindset and habits that fuel high performance, we are in effect instilling these very mindsets and habits in our colleagues, friends, and loved ones.
when students with low grade-point averages simply began rooming with higher-scoring students, their grade-point averages increased.
Studies show that rapport strengthens between two people when they lock eyes,
CEOs who are rated high on scales of positive expression are more likely to have employees who report being happy, and who describe their workplace as a climate conducive to performance.
studies of sports teams have found not only that one happy player was enough to infect the mood of the entire team, but also that the happier the team was, the better they played.
each tiny move toward a more positive mindset can send ripples of positivity through our organizations, our families, and our communities.
