Welcome to spring! In hills and valleys all across the land, the mighty bear is emerging from her cave like a college kid with a wicked hangover; the noble eagle is regurgitating food into his children’s mouths and somehow not having a problem with that; and children everywhere are dragging mud all through the house because they know they’ll probably be able to get out of having to clean it up. Everywhere you look, the world is flush with activity. It’s true for us, too, as this April happens to be the best month our business has ever had. Yay for continuing to avoid bankruptcy!
And I want this to be the best month you’ve ever had, too. I want it to be so good that you look back on your past and say to yourself, “Wow, everything I’ve ever done is a pathetic failure compared to the glory of what I’m feeling right now!” I can’t promise you new customers, or a winning lottery ticket, or new customers that pay you with winning lottery tickets. But I can give you a few ideas to help you enjoy your job, and your coworkers, more than you usually do. Life’s a whole lot better when we aren’t seething with hatred, you know?
So, in an effort to make this your best month ever, here are a few things you can do to make your working relationships as strong as they’ve ever been.
Tell Your Colleagues Ridiculously Often How Awesome They Are!
If you have kids, then you already know that they basically force you to tell them you love them by asking all kinds of annoying questions: “Do you love me?” “How much do you love me?” “Would you still love me if I didn’t make the basketball team?” “Let’s just pretend, for argument’s sake, that I totaled the car…” Well, your colleagues are a lot like kids. They need positive encouragement just like you and me and everyone else. So go out of your way to tell the people you work with that you think they’re great. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people tell me that a single handwritten note from their boss or colleague – often no longer than 2 sentences – was enough to make their day. Wouldn’t you like to be the best thing to happen to someone today?
Invent Awards To Show People That You’re Paying Attention!
Not only can you Photoshop anything you want, but you can also pay any number of people on Etsy to design beautiful things for you for like $11. So come up with unique trophies, certificates, plaques, and other awards to give to each other. Coolest Account Rep in History, Demigod of Breakroom Treats, Best Person to Bounce Ideas Off Of, Least Likely to Get Indicted for Massive Accounting Fraud – nice, funny, serious, frivolous, whatever comes to mind. Odds are people won’t frame them, but I guarantee they’ll remember it for a while.
Tell Everyone You Work With Why Your Business Wouldn’t Exist Without Them!
Why should you do this? Because it’s true. Everyone you work with is part of the reason that your business is where it is today – everyone. So find some way to tell everyone how they have made your business more efficient, better able to expand, a better place to work, or whatever else you come up with. Acknowledging each other’s importance is something almost none of us ever does, and doing so can make all the difference in the world. Unless your business is about to go down in flames. If it is, then maybe ignore this one and make another fun certificate while there’s still time.
I hope that helps. Really all I’m asking is for you to spend a little extra time this month paying attention to the people you work with and who make your business a) possible in the first place, and b) successful. I’m sure you can find the time, and I promise it’ll be fun. But if going a little out of your way is too much of a headache for you, then do me a favor. Go home tonight and tell your spouse, “I’m done telling you that I love you. I’ve told you for (fill in correct number, or at least close) years, I feel like you should know it by now, and not saying it will really save us both a lot of time. OK?” Give it a shot. And enjoy sleeping in your car!