Making Great Coffee

Not every work day is a great day. Your boss is pressuring you about a deadline. Your co-workers aren't doing their share of the work. Your staff aren't doing their normal bang-on job. And of course, you forgot to bring change for your morning Starbucks, which means that you are stuck with the yucky stuff from the office.

Even if this isn't your normal day, it becomes too easy to slide into the role of the complainer. And when you look around the office, how many others are unhappy with their "coffee" too? When this becomes the norm, the whole workplace becomes toxic. It becomes a place where there is no personal or professional growth. And it becomes a place that people want to leave.

Besides upgrading the refreshments, what can YOU do if this has started to happen at your workplace? Remember that the only thing that is under your personal control is... you. So consider the attribute that most irritates you in others. Then ask yourself whether you are indeed the best model for the "correct" behaviour. If we're honest with ourselves, we can usually find at least some room for improvement.

What if we were able to demonstrate, by example, the behaviour and attitudes, that leads to success? This approach provides a concrete example to those around us which bit-by-bit, can be learned and emulated. Doing this adds a positive balance to a negative environment. And in those situations where we must criticize, there will be congruency between what we're asking and what we're acting.

This week's action item: Decide on one task, attribute, or attitude that you can begin modelling for your co-workers. But don't announce it: See if they like your brand of "coffee" enough to buy it for themselves.

Make It Happen Tipsheet
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Copyright © 2006 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.

Publication Date: July 11, 2006