Written by Jesse Katen
In my workshops and in sessions with my coaching clients, I repeat one sentence so much it has virtually become my signature mantra: “We are at our best when we are feeling good.” When we are in a pleasant state of mind (and body!) we have better access to our creative and critical cognitive functioning. When we are feeling good, we are more likely to make better decisions, to solve problems creatively, and to explore new and innovative possibilities. As leaders, one of our most fundamental tasks is to create an environment in which our people can function at their best and live up to their fullest potential. And that means giving them the space to feel good.
“But, Jesse!” I often hear in protest, “If we make our people feel too good, isn’t our productivity going to suffer? Don’t we need some kind of pressure in order to get things done?” I certainly understand. Like with all leadership duties, we must find that elusive and dynamic balance that places us—and the people who work for us—in an optimal place for making the impacts we need to make within our organizations and upon the world.
I encourage leaders to navigate this balance by considering the three F’s of a positive workplace environment:
Feeling good
Freedom
Flow
If we can ensure that we are building and maintaining a work environment that affords our people access to these three F’s, we are more likely to see increased productivity, more positive interpersonal relationships, and an overall more rewarding work experience. And, each of these, of course, increases employee satisfaction and improves longevity. People stay where they feel good and where they feel valued.
Feeling Good
When I say “We are at our best when we are feeling good,” I mean that we need to create an environment where our people can look forward to being present and feel good about the work that they are doing. When leaders make decisions, it is helpful to think about the “Broaden and Build” theory of positive emotions developed by psychologist Barbara Fredrickson. When we experience positive emotions, we broaden our awareness of the world around us and we build internal resources that we can rely on in the future. As leaders, don’t we want to facilitate these functions for our people? We can do so by keeping a mental (or actual) checklist of the ten positive emotions Fredrickson identifies (joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, inspiration, amusement, awe, and love) and regularly ask ourselves: “How often am I experiencing these emotions in the workplace? How often do my employees experience them? And, what can I do to further facilitate positive experiences for all of us?” Prioritizing positive experiences (“feeling good”) results in a happier and healthier workplace.
Freedom
Freedom is having the ability to make choices for ourselves. Obviously, we can’t have complete freedom in the workplace. But it’s a powerful question for leaders to ask themselves “Where is it possible for me to extend choices to my people?” Creating an environment where employees feel free means offering opportunities for them to exercise their judgment in decision-making and creativity, knowing that they are going to be supported. If our people feel empowered to take positive and productive risks, our workplaces benefit from increased creativity and innovation. Leaders can balance freedom with explicit expectations by wording requests like this: “As long as we are able to _____, I encourage you to use your own judgment in how you move forward,” or “Given that _____, feel free to be creative in how you approach this project! Make it your own!” Investing our people with freedom—and thereby demonstrating our trust—leads to feelings of empowerment, being valued, and the promise of opportunities for our people to develop their talents.
Flow
Developed by the positive psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, the concept of the “flow state” provides leaders with an idea of the ideal work environment. Flow is a state of optimal productivity that we find ourselves in when our skills appropriately match the demand of the task. Flow is characterized by intense focus, high productivity, and a lack of self-consciousness. Distractions seem to fall away and we lose track of time and space. But also, flow feels good! Those in the flow state, or what athletes sometimes refer to as being “in the zone,” is a positive and satisfying experience. Part of what helps us remain in flow is the minimization of frustration and the regularity of positive feedback. By asking ourselves “Am I providing enough meaningful positive feedback at regular intervals?” and “Are there any negative elements that cause my people to fall out of flow,” we can help create an environment that is conducive to the flow state, thus ensuring a productive and pleasant workplace for everyone.
As always, I so enjoy hearing from leaders in their respective workplaces about the ideas and suggestions that I share, so please never hesitate to reach out with questions or to offer suggestions for future articles! Feel free to email me at jesse@jessekaten.com.
For Further Reading:
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. HarperCollins, 2008.
Fredrickson, Barbara. Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the 3-to-1 Ratio That Will Change Your Life. Harmony, 2009.
Fredrickson, Barbara. “The Broaden–and–Build Theory of Positive Emotions.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, edited by F. A. Huppert et al., vol. 359, no. 1449, Sep. 2004, pp. 1367–77. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2004.1512.