The Positive Energy Workplace

Make a plan. Nothing breeds greater clarity and a sigh of relief like actually making a plan. Whatever your current situation is - what's your plan? Doesn't have to be perfect - just jot down some next steps, get into action, and be awake in the process so you know when you need to make a left turn or switch gears.

Acknowledge. A close cousin to gratitude. What's your team going through right now? How are they showing up? Who are they "being" in the face of challenge and unknown outcomes? How can you be more helpful to them?

We talk a lot about avoiding burnout these days: "the economy", "work/life balance", and all sorts of topics provide us with lots to discuss and lots to "work harder" on. In my experience, the quickest way I know to prevent burnout is not to "avoid it" (after all, we create what we think about, and even more so what we avoid), but rather to make sure we're doing stuff that has meaning and purpose for us - EVERY SINGLE DAY. Especially when in the midst of stressful or challenging times. Finding joy, dreaming and focusing on the impact we want to create with our lives, can help us focus on the right things, put our attention in productive areas, and lead us through the unknown paths.

If you're not in the dream role, dream business or dream situation right now, it's worth taking the time to explore what that dream role might be, and then getting into action. If you're not feeling "the love" in your life or connected or engaged, it's worth reaching out to create it. If you're dissatisfied, it's worth, finding the "request" under that dissatisfaction and getting into action. I believe that one of the greatest GIFTS we have in our lives, bar none, is to be able to identify where we're at, where we want to be and then to do something with it. Those "gaps" in satisfaction are beacons that can show us what needs to be designed in our lives (and organizations) to make it even better.

How does this apply to you personally? I'm not sure, obviously only you can know what's true for you. And I do know that I personally am in the question everyday of "What reality am I creating for myself?" "How am I helping things go right? Or not?" My beliefs and mindset influence the actions I take which influence the results I get - at work, at home, and in life in general. Seeing this makes it easier, because I can create a "presence point" to check my mindset and see where it's at and where it may need to shift in order to create my intended impact.

I was on a flight from NYC to Chicago a couple of weeks ago and sat next to a gentleman who'd worked for a large financial firm on Wall Street. He was now without a job and exploring options. As I spoke with this guy, what struck me was his attitude. He was looking at this "horrible" situation, one that was stressful and would have a large impact on his family (including a possible relocation), as an opportunity to re-assess and "start over." He said, "I've been so caught up in all of this for so many years, in many ways I've lost sight of what's most important and what I really want to be doing. While I'm not loving this; I'm scared and uncomfortable, I'm secretly excited about what's to come. I feel I have a fresh start." Hmmmm. Different mindset, wouldn't you say? And one that was already serving him greatly. (Do you ever notice the kind of intimate conversations you can have with perfect strangers at 33,000 feet?)

The DTE Personal & Leadership Development Power Pack Tour has begun! I'm just back from trips on the East Coast and West Coast (and many flights) that included testing, feedback and charter memberships. If you are interested for yourself or your organization and would like a visit from yours truly to share these puppies, let me know. For those who qualify for charter membership, I'll be running around the country over the next couple of months to help folks get set up. Will I get to see you?

[AND special note on the Power Packs: Our charter member organizations will be launching their subscriptions and programs June 1st - if you would like to get in on this early, please call or email me directly. In order to participate in the June 1st launch, be a charter member, and to take advantage of the special pricing incentives, we need to have you in our system, as a member, by May 8th.]