Idea 3 - Ask this one question in meetings and make your team more positive

A few years ago, one of our team had a tendency to drain the energy out of our meetings. They weren’t deliberately obstructive, but they always saw the negative side of everything. We were aware it was happening and how it was affecting our team, but we didn’t know what to do. 

Then I watched a keynote by Jamie Peacock, the ex-captain of the Great Britain rugby league team, and he introduced me to the concept of “peak of the week”. 

Jamie said that at the start of his management meetings, he asks his team for their “peak of the week”- their highlight in the last seven days. It could be anything from baking a great cake to watching their football team win, to seeing their daughter get a 10 in her maths test. It could be from work or home, as long as it was positive.

The idea was, that if his team focused their brain on something positive, they themselves would become more positive, even if it was only for a short period of time.

We tried it and the effect on our meetings was almost instant. By focusing the first 10-15 minutes on uplifting stories, the whole tone of the following hour changed for the better.

Why is positivity important?

Research shows that if you have a more positive outlook in life, you’ll be happier, and if you are happier at work, you collaborate more, innovate more, and even produce more. However, the problem is, humans are not positive all the time and will focus on the negative rather than the positive when given the chance. We have a negativity bias. It’s an evolutionary thing. Thousands of years ago when we heard a twig crack, it was in our best interest to think it was a tiger and freeze rather than ignore it, thinking it was a cute squirrel going for a walk.

Neuroplasticity

So why should a simple question like this make a difference? Your brain is amazing. It can actually make physical changes to itself in response to new information. It is called neuroplasticity. So, if you practise thinking positive thoughts, you can actually rewire your synaptic connections in your brain and become a more positive person. In this case, by simply asking this one question, you are reframing the mood of the meeting, but over time, you can change your team’s relationship with the situation itself. You can help them feel positive about that meeting.

My tip of the week this week is:

At the start of every meeting, ask a question that will encourage your team to think positive thoughts. “What is your peak of the week?” is a great start, but if you are not comfortable talking about personal stuff yet, asking about a positive thing that has happened at work is also good. It will put them in a positive mood and, over time, will even rewire their brains a little.

Please note this only works in small groups. We tried it once in a group of ten, and the stories took such a long time we never actually had the meeting. We did have a lovely chat though.

Making a whole team “happy” involves many, many moving parts, but fostering positivity is a step in the right direction. Being positive at work fulfils your need for safety and belonging - if you feel positive at work, you will feel safer, and this will help your feeling of belonging in your team.

One final thought …

I have a friend who sees the best in everything that happens. He’s inspirational. He works for a charity and genuinely makes the world a better place every day. I asked him a couple of weeks ago how he was so positive all the time, and he said “My mum used to say I’m not a glass half full or half empty person; I’m just really happy I have a glass!”

If you want to delve deeper: This article explains more about the relationship between neuroplasticity and positive thinking - re-origin.com

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Next week I’ll be explaining how a new chat channel can help give your team meaning in their work.