Is negativity destroying employee morale at your workplace? Try this simple way to spread positive energy. Emotions are contagious. That is why a negative employee can have an adverse affect on all your employees, just like the bad apple in a barrel.
The easiest way to change the workplace atmosphere into a positive one is to have happy employees spread positive emotions.
Know how to spot a happy employee?
It’s simple…
A happy employee is the one who is smiling. So if you want your employees to be happy then simply find ways to make them smile. Each smile is like a tiny flashlight that lights up the workplace.
Smiles are contagious!
There’s a classic song that goes like this,
“When You’re Smiling,
When You’re Smiling,
The Whole World smiles with you!”
That simply means that when you smile, you make other people smile. That is how smiles are contagious.
Imagine…
You are playing with an infant who is about 6 months old. What do you do? Well, you probably smile at that baby and talk to him or her in a happy, excited tone of voice. Your reward is a baby who smiles and laughs.
Then imagine…
You’re at a party celebrating somebody’s birthday. Everyone is singing Happy Birthday. They are excited and they are smiling. What do you do? You obviously sing and smile along with them.
It’s easy to smile when you’re having fun. But, how do you get people to smile at work? Especially when their work is serious?
How to get employees to “Smile” at work
Start the morning with a smile
One simple way is to greet everyone with a smile and a happy tone of voice as you say, “Good morning, Bill”, or a cheery “Hello, Suzy.” That sets the tone for the day, and gets the contagious smile started doing it’s work.
Start the afternoon with a smile
Back from lunch? Greet employees with a smile again, and be sure to say their names. You might even give them some “after lunch candy” for dessert. This makes the afternoon start out happy.
Keep employees smiling throughout the day
Now, we need some things to make them smile while they are working. You have work to do, too, so you can’t be there every minute smiling at them. Many times we get so caught up in our work, that we forget to smile. In that case we may need a few visual reminders.
When you see a smiley face image, you can’t help but smile. Therefore, a simple way to remind people to smile is to put smiley images around the workplace and watch them light up the room.
Spread smiley’s around the workplace
1. Mugs
In mugs with smiley faces at your employees’ desks, not only energize them with coffee, but also remind them to smile. Smiling is another form of energy. It’s emotional energy.
2. Computer mouse pads
Computer mouse pads with smiley faces also reminds employees to smile. It’s these little sparks of happy energy throughout the day that motivate your employees to smile.
And, since smiles are contagious, one employee smiling can spread to other employees at the workplace like wildfire.
3. Stickers
Stickers with smiley faces can be put on
- memos,
- payroll stubs,
- other office papers
- bathroom mirrors
If your employees are on the telephone a lot, then a mirror with a smiley face sticker on it can remind them to smile when they talk to your customers on the phone. It’s amazing how that smile comes through in their tone of voice.
4. Magnets
Magnets can be placed on filing cabinets or snack room refrigerators to remind employees to smile. Just think, if everywhere you go in the workplace you’re apt to bump into a smiley face image, you’re going to remember to smile much more often. They create little sparks of energy.
Your smileys will create a lighter, happier atmosphere
Your smileys will create a lighter, happier atmosphere in your workplace, and create a way for your employees to catch each others’ smiles. Employee morale will improve just because people are smiling. Buying these inexpensive items is a small investment that produces ongoing results.
Want some unique smiley faces that pop out at you as if to say, “Smile back at me!” Visit the Confidence Center’s Smiley Store where you can find mugs, mouse pads, magnets, and stickers with these unique smiley faces. When you get there you will see creative smiley faces that are unlike any others that you will find.
Overcome the Monday morning blues
Here’s how you can overcome the “Monday Morning Blues” when employees are dragging and not very happy about having to come back to work.
Every Monday come to work with a new Smiley helium balloon – the Mylar kind that lasts a week. Tie it an employee’s chair before anyone arrives. Choose a different person each week so everyone gets a chance. At the end of the day, that person has to tie the balloon to another employee’s chair who will have it all the next day. Continue that throughout the week.
Is this too simple?
Eliminating workplace negativity is a challenge, and using Smiley’s may seem like it won’t work by itself. However, it is only one of many low-cost ways to raise employee morale. The best part is that its an easy low-cost morale booster, that doesn’t take up any work time, and it reminds people to put on a happy face.
So, try it today. What do you have to lose?
If you would like other ideas, I invite you sign up for our employee morale boosters in the blue box below, and we will send you a new low-cost creative morale booster every week.
What are your experiences with using Smileys?
What creative ways have you used them, and what results did you get?
Write your comments below the blue box and be sure to fill in the Blue Box below to free morale boosters.
