Winning at Work: What You Think About Is What You Get

There are several ways that we can manage our emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and experiences to improve our performance. One recommendation is that you should start your day by setting positive intentions. Intentions are the endpoint or goal you want to achieve, and they drive your behavior. You can express gratitude to someone by saying thank you. You should do something helpful or positive for other people, something as simple as a smile, a compliment, or words of encouragement. You should foster your hope by identifying an important goal, identifying different ways to achieve the goal, identifying obstacles to each pathway and developing a plan for overcoming these roadblocks, and then finally work the plan. You want to focus on the positive side of life by staying focused on what is happening in the present moment. Finally, you should strive to overcome the negativity bias by reframing your thoughts in a positive direction.

Discussion Questions/Topics:

• What factors make it difficult for you to display positive emotions at school or work?
• During the selection process, how could organizations determine which job applicants are likely to display positive emotions in the workplace?
• How could you more effectively interact with a co-worker who does not display positive emotions at work?