Teambuilding Idea: Appreciation Lunch

Bring in lunch for your staff "just because." Yes, it's fun to celebrate milestones and achievements, but it's also great to fellowship over a meal just because you are a team. Have no particular agenda for this lunch meeting, and for an even better treat, allow the staff to leave an hour early on the same day. That way they will feel like they also received their normal "lunch hour break" rather than having had to use it for a mandated lunch activity. 

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Five Ways to Ease Tension at Work

Most of us want to enjoy positive relationships in our workplaces, yet work is often a source of tension. Here are five tips to help you mitigate some of the tension that occurs in workplace relationships.

Understand personalities. Begin to study the people you work with. What makes them tick? What ticks them off? Over time, you can see patterns and learn to smile about some tendencies. You can also develop strategies when you know what you are dealing with. For example, if your co-worker is very talkative when you walk in the door, plan your arrival time to be a bit earlier than him or her so that you are already busy at your desk when they come in.  Have a boss that is a quick mover and decisive? Don't go into his office with information that will take several minutes to download. Tell him what you need from him in a “bottom line” fashion, and then ask if he wants rationale.

Accept that everyone is different. This is not new advice. But we often have trouble making the connection between saying we understand this concept and living it. If you feel a rise in your blood pressure whenever someone thinks differently from you, you might want to begin to examine why it is so important to you to be around “Yes” people. Successful companies invite respectful disagreement. It often helps create new ideas and solutions.

Find something to be thankful for. Watch for coworkers to do something well and thank them for it. Make it a practice to say "thank you" at least a couple of times a week. (Don't overdo this or it will seem insincere after awhile. This is usually not a danger in most workplaces though.) People crave a pat on the back, and encouragers often receive kindness and cooperation from others in exchange.

Engage in non-work conversation. I know an individual who has build great relationships with people she regularly needs info from. They are willing to break their necks for her because she simply treats them well and engages in reasonable conversation with them that does not always center just around work. Yes, you can overdo workplace chit-chat, but relationships are fluid and personal/work lives will intersect no matter how much you try to divide it. So instead, build bridges and relationships that will naturally lead to productivity.

Lighten up. Feeling irritated more and more often lately? Maybe YOU are the problem. Step back and think about why you think the world is against you (or your coworkers.) Be willing to see the hard things about yourself and make some changes.

While we can't create perfect workplaces, we can do our part to make them more pleasant…for ourselves and everyone else.

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The Light Bulb on Your Team

When you walk into a room, do you look at the ceiling lights or lamps and say, "Thank the Lord that these lights are working!" do you? Likely, you don't. You just expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch. If anything, it's most noticeable if you lose power and suddenly what you have come to depend on, and take for granted, isn't working anymore.

Your organization probably has a lot of "light bulbs" on the team. These are the folks that, day in and day out, do the background work with excellence. They are attentive to detail. They like routine. They feel unsettled if things are not predictable. They may be somewhat critical, shining a light on people and tasks that can show their negative sides.

You need these light bulbs. They carry out the details of the vision of your company. They remember things the flashlights and party lights do not. They are steady and very dependable, tending to arrive on time--and leave on time--every day. They may be quiet, but they are observant. Sometimes they may seem picky. Light bulbs are great in roles that require lots of attention to detail such as accounting or medical work. They may need to work on their people skills from time to time, because tasks tend to be more important to them. They like to feel in control.

When managing a light bulb, keep in mind their need for lead time (they are slower- paced than many), rationale (explanations for why a certain policy is needed--they like things to make sense) and quiet appreciation (they will not enjoy a public fanfare but a sincere, short note or email can speak volumes to them.)

Light bulbs. Not dramatic, but very important. Treat them well.

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The Candle On Your Team

Warm and inviting. That's the atmosphere created when we light candles.

There are people who create an environment that is warm, welcoming, and secure. These are the candles on your team--the ones who rarely get into conflicts, who lend a listening ear, who are stable and supportive.

We need plenty of candles on our team. They tend to follow more than lead, so they will more likely carry out the work that is determined by the more direct individuals. They will often be the peacekeepers as well. They hate conflict.

But beware. If a candle is continue snuffed, or irritated by drops of gasoline, they can "explode," surprising everyone and perhaps even themselves! Because they don't speak up as easily when conflicts occur, they let things build. Be watching for signs of over-stress and fatigue and deal with issues before these good hearted folks become burned out.

Encourage candles to contribute to conversations and decisions. They are observant and wise even though often quiet. They also enjoy being teamed with a few other people to work on projects. They like to belong--and are very loyal. Who doesn't need a loyal friend and teammate?

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