Accentuate the Positive...

...Eliminate the Negative.

These are the words of an old song that was popular in the 40's - I bet my Dad knows every word!

I LOVE the message in this song and believe it speaks SO strongly to things that make folks joyful in work and life. Here are a few of the links I see:

1. STRENGTHS! Everyone has unique strengths, things that only they are able to do brilliantly. Often these strengths are overlooked or missed completely because we are too busy trying to be like someone else. If only we could accentuate our positives (strengths) and eliminate our negatives (weaknesses) I think the world of work would be a MUCH better place. Do you know what your strengths are and are you using them everyday?

2. WHO'S ON THE BUS? In the world of work we get to interact with a whole array of different folk, some we are immediately drawn to and some we're not. But regardless of our personal preference, in order for organizations (buses) to be successful we have to give them a fighting chance, we have to believe that we are making a difference, that our efforts are worthwhile and 'Keep Hope Alive' as my good friend JM would say.  If we can't do that and find ourselves in a reoccurring negative state about our work, we should think carefully about whether we are on the right bus or not. Buses can't get far with some people on the gas and others on the brake. Are you on the right bus?

3. YOU CAN DO IT! "No News is Good News" NO! at work "No News" is a TERRIBLE, CRUEL AND ABUSIVE state! As human beings we crave connection and feedback, even the most self motivated person needs feedback and encouragement from others some time. Catching people doing things right (recognition) is the EASIEST thing in the whole world to do, but the infrequency with which it happens you would think we have to barter our firstborn to give it out! Conversely criticism flourishes in the workplace, often it flourishes behind the 'target's' back, so they never get the benefits of the feedback, but we do a great job of instilling doubt in others minds and creating mistrust where it never should be. Lets change this right now! Catch someone doing something right and be lavish in our praise!

4. ELIMINATE! Do you have piles of UFO's (Un-Finished-Objectives) following you around at work? If you do, the chances are that they are weighing you down, making you feel burdened and ill at ease. Perhaps you start early, work late and never take vacation because of these UFO's. And guess what? If you keep them they will always be yours. Watching professional organizers is an interesting lesson for Longtime-UFO-Carriers; professional organizers are RUTHLESS in what they throw-out, recycle, re-purpose, sell or gift to others. What UFO's do you need to eliminate in order to accentuate the positive at work?

So starting today let's ACCENTUATE the :-) and ELIMINATE the :-(