People resist direction or change that they don't understand, don't value, or whose demands they don't feel they can measure up to. The impact on individuals can be significant....and not necessarily in a good way. Positive emotional impact - recognition of a person's work or their personal life - can be inspiring. On the other hand, negative emotional impact - not noticing work well done, negative comments, neglecting the personal lives of staff members - can cause people to resist, shut down, or, at worst, sabotage organizational efforts.
Staff members feel more confident about taking direction and tackling new ideas when leaders set a positive tone by recognizing work that is well done, thanking people for their work, and by exuding awareness and appreciation of the complexities of the work they are being asked to do.
Remember the great quotation:
In the end, people will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou
Don't miss a chance to recognize a staff member for work well done or to thank someone for their efforts. They'll remember how you made them feel!
Thank you for this response. =)
ReplyDeleteThe power of positive appreciation sets a powerful tone for a positive work environment. This tone can also impact our interactions with parents and the school community.
Your response made me think of a quote from Evocative Coaching written by Bob & Megan Tschannen-Moran:
"Adults don't resist change, they resist being changed"