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5 Ways to Identify and Avoid Toxic Positivity

Negativity pervades work. People show up tired. Co-workers feel like sandpaper. The kettle on the stove is always whistling. When work is a positive experience, someone labored to make it happen. But toxic positivity corrodes organizations.

Positive experiences:

Everyone nods when asked about the value of positive experiences at work. But shoulders droop when you ask what people do to energize teams. Who has time?

Affirm behaviors that prevent problems. Don’t wait for problems. Solve them before they happen. Identify behaviors that lead to success and cheer when you see them.
Look at people like you like them. You probably need to smile more.
Remember leading is a privilege. You get to serve many.
Know and honor the personal goals of people on your team.
Aim high. Mediocrity is depressing. Join hands and climb high.

Positive energy turns negative when neglected. Make positive experiences a daily practice, but toxic positivity is destructive.

Toxic positivity:

You know positivity has gone too far when…

Too much happy talk makes us frauds. Are you pretending to be happy? A little pretending can prime the pump. Constant pretending means you’re fake.
Tough conversations are neglected. Everything isn’t great. It never is.
Relationships are shallow. Ask soldiers who fought in battle if painful experiences establish enduring relationships.
Everyone goes along to get along.
People brush off corrective feedback.

Conclusion:

Producing results isn’t enough. People go dark when you neglect positive energy. Results decline. But reject toxic positivity.

What can leaders do today to build positive energy?

How is toxic positivity damaging to teams?

Still curious:

The Deadly Habits of Highly Toxic Leaders

The Surprising Source of Unintended Toxicity

8 Traits of Toxic Leadership to Avoid | Psychology Today

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A Strange Depression Symptom That Most People Don’t Know

This tip may help people who are feeling depressed.

Clinically depressed people can find it hard to tell the difference between their own negative emotions, like anger, guilt and frustration.

This could be part of the reason that depression is so hard to deal with.

It may be helpful for people experiencing depression to be more specific about which negative emotion they are feeling, the research also suggests.

The study’s first author, Dr Emre Demiralp, explains:

“It is difficult to improve your life without knowing whether you are sad or angry about some aspect of it.

For example, imagine not having a gauge independently indicating the gasoline level of your car.

It would be challenging to know when to stop for gas.

We wanted to investigate whether people with clinical depression had emotional gauges that were informative and whether they experienced emotions with the same level of specificity and differentiation as healthy people.”

Participants in the study — half of whom were experiencing clinical depression — were asked to report their emotions at random intervals over a period of a week.

Each time they reported how they felt across 11 different emotions, 7 negative and 4 positive:

sad,
anxious,
angry,
frustrated,
ashamed,
disgusted,
guilty,
happy,
excited,
alert,
and active.

The results, published in the journal Psychological Science, showed that people who were depressed found it difficult to distinguish between negative emotions (Demiralp et al., 2012).

In contrast, non-depressed people were clearer which negative emotions they were experiencing.

For the positive emotions, however, both the depressed and non-depressed participants could distinguish them equally well.

Dr. Demiralp said:

“Our results suggest that being specific about your negative emotions might be good for you.

It might be best to avoid thinking that you are feeling generally bad or unpleasant.

Be specific.

Is it anger, shame, guilt or some other emotion?

This can help you circumvent it and improve your life.

It is one of our overarching goals to investigate approaches for facilitating this kind of emotional intelligence at a large scale in the population.”

Author: Jeremy Dean

Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology. He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004. He is also the author of the book “Making Habits, Breaking Habits” (Da Capo, 2013) and several ebooks. View all posts by Jeremy Dean

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Successful Leadership Today: What to Do Now

George Bernard Shaw said, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

To change one’s mind requires re-examining old beliefs and determining what is now most important.

How has leadership changed and what should you be doing now?

Here are ten things you need to do and develop as essential skills:

1. Initiate Change

Historically leaders have more often than not reacted to change, some have embraced it but only the brave few initiated it.

There are two kinds of change. The first is imposed. Whether a change in technology you must adopt to keep up or an economic circumstance, a force outside the leader’s control has created the need for change.

The second is initiated change. This is change that provides an advantage. First, it is done as an opportunity rather than a reaction to crisis. Secondly, if done strategically, it can keep an organization ahead of the needs of its employees, customers and competitors.

Today, leaders win by changing before it is necessity and faster than their competitors.

While initiated change can be risky (there is no guarantee they will work), it is even risker, however is to be playing catch up.

2. Build Strong Blended Teams

No leader can single-handedly achieve success. Leaders must be skilled at identifying and nurturing talent and creating a culture of teamwork.

Good teamwork has always been an essential, but only lately have teams existed in a virtual space. Blended teams combine on site employees with those working off site and create an additional level of difficulty. Blended teams work together across time and space, and that presents unique challenges.

3. Drive Innovation

If innovation is an option, few will choose it. It requires doing things differently, upsetting the status quo and working in new ways. Innovation is the key to staying ahead of the competition. Leaders must encourage creativity and experimentation, and create an environment where failure is viewed as an opportunity to learn and grow. Trying lots of new things and abandoning what doesn’t work, however, is a part of the innovator’s playbook that hasn’t changed.

4. Commit to Inclusivity

Diversity and inclusivity shouldn’t be obligatory buzzwords but a commitment necessary to any successful organization. Leaders must promote a culture of inclusivity and actively seek out diverse perspectives and opinions. Inclusion means everyone is invited to participate with ideas and opinions are that they are valued for their unique contributions. Like most important things, it is easier said than done. Ultimately, it is about giving respect to those you’ve invited to be part of your team.

5. Make Employee Well-being a Priority

Leaders must prioritize the well-being of their employees. Today’s workforce values work-life balance and mental health as much as financial compensation. A leader who cares for their employees will have a loyal and motivated workforce.

As someone who has been in business over 40 years, I know there is a sentiment that it is up to employees to “take care of themselves” and “be happy.” While I agree there is an important element of personal responsibility, leaders…

You Can Learn A New Language While You Sleep, Study Finds (M)

Swiss study finds memory for new words reinforced by listening again during sleep.

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Help: My Boss Doesn’t Support Me

Dear Dan,

I work in the Social Work/Mental Health field and am struggling to coach/supervise one of my staff who has been in one of my programs for the last two years. This person continuously brings “bull crap” to one-on-one interactions, as well as group and outsider provider interactions.

Her reaction when her perception, inconsistency, or helplessness is challenged is to blame and deflect. She is also very “know it all” and disrespectful/unprofessional at times.

I do not get the support I need from my boss. I could benefit from some tactical ideas and expertise on challenging one-sided perceptions, inconsistencies, and helplessness, as this names her behavior precisely.

Feeling Unsupported

Help! My boss doesn’t support me.

Dear Unsupported,

It feels like you’re in a painful situation. Sending me an email is one way to reach outside your organization. I encourage you to continue looking for support and advice beyond your boss.

Let’s begin with your boss. What you do when you don’t get what you want sets a tone in your work relationships. Have you told your boss what you want? What does support look like to you?

Make it easy for your boss to support you. Here are some conversation starters that might help.

Could we discuss some ways I might deal with disrespectful employees?
I’d like some advice.
I want to run my plan by you before I take the next step. I intend to….

Don’t expect your boss to save the day.

Rise to the occasion. Seek input. Develop a plan. Take action. Evaluate results. Adapt. Try again.

Forget about a magic wand solution. All plans are imperfect.

It’s hard not to, but the worst thing you can do is ruminate on this situation. Action answers rumination. The goal of reflection is action.

Identify a small step forward and take it.

You have my best,

Dan

More tomorrow…

What suggestions do you have for Feeling Unsupported?

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Healthcare Reputation Management: 7 Tricks to Do First

Staying on top of what people are saying or writing about you is about more than ego. It helps you amplify the positive and quickly resolve anything negative—before it blows up.

Healthcare providers face a unique challenge when it comes to their reputations. How current and future patients view you can mean the difference between a full appointment calendar or an empty lobby. A single negative post on social media can torpedo your hard-earned reputation, even if what is written is untrue.

You need good reputation management habits to stay on top of your healthcare reputation. You also need to do it in a way that is safe and reliable. Start with these seven reputation management tricks before trying any others.

1. Claim Your Profile on All Review Sites

There are a lot of review sites out there, and claiming your profile on all of them can seem like a daunting task. But an unclaimed profile means you’re not tracking what is said about you on that site. It also gives the appearance that you just don’t care.

It’s important that you claim your profiles, especially on the big mainstream sites like Google My Business and Yelp. These are resources that most people go to first when considering who they want to work with. Great reviews on these sites get them past the first hurdle of considering you. Bad reviews have them moving along to the next option.

For healthcare professionals, there are a slew of medical-specific review sites to monitor, too. Vitals, HealthGrade, RateMDs, ZocDoc, and RealSelf are some of the most popular sites. Choosing a healthcare provider is a complicated thing to do for most people. Future patients dig deep into sites like these to find out all they can before choosing a new healthcare practitioner.

Ignore your…

How Tagging Strategies Transform Marketing Campaigns

As a marketer, I understand how today’s marketing campaigns face fierce competition. With so much content and ads competing for eyeballs, creating campaigns that stand out is no easy task.

That’s where strategies like tagging come in.

It helps you categorize and optimize your marketing efforts. It also helps your campaigns cut through the noise and reach the right audience.

To help you out, I’ve compiled nine ways brands use a tagging strategy to create an impactful marketing campaign.

Let’s get to it.

How Brands Use a Tagging Strategy

Tagging involves using keywords or labels to categorize and organize content, products, or customer data. You attach tags to specific items or information to make searching, sorting, and analyzing data easier.

There are various types of tags, including meta tags, analytics tags, image tags, hashtags, blog tags, and more.

So, how do brands use a tagging strategy to make their marketing campaigns stand out?

Improve Social Media Engagement

With over 5 billion users, social media provides an easy way to connect with your audience, build relationships, and promote your offerings.

Use a tagging strategy to boost social media interactions. Consistently use hashtags that align with current trends and topics. This encourages people to interact with your content and boosts content visibility.

You can also use tags to monitor brand mentions of your products or your industry. This allows you to engage with your audience promptly.

Consider virtual social media assistants to streamline your tagging strategy. These AI-driven tools can suggest relevant hashtags, track mentions, and automate responses. Implementing them can save time and resources while ensuring consistent engagement across your socials.

Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 1 billion members across 200 nations. It offers excellent opportunities for individuals and businesses to build and nurture their brands.

However, simply creating a professional profile isn’t enough to build a personal brand on LinkedIn.

Use various tags to increase your visibility, establish thought leadership, showcase expertise, and attract the right connections. For instance, use skill tags to showcase your expertise and industry tags to attract connections and opportunities within your industry. Use certification tags to help showcase your expertise and credibility to potential employers or clients.

Facilitate Customer Segmentation and Personalization

Personalization matters—more so in today’s data-driven world. In fact, 65% of consumers expect your brand to adapt to their changing preferences and needs.

To meet this expectation, consider using a tagging strategy.

Segment your customers based on shared characteristics, such as demographics, interests, purchase history, cart abandonment, and behavior.

Here’s a summary of the steps to customer segmentation.

With your customer segments ready, use…

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Unlock Your Brain’s Hidden Potential With This Simple Nature Hack (M)

The wisdom of naturalists like Thoreau validated by science as researchers unveil the mental benefits of nature immersion.

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Author: Jeremy Dean

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4 Ways “No” Moves You Forward

“We took our idea [for the computer] to a few companies, one where Woz worked [Hewlett-Packard] and one where I worked at the time [Atari]. Neither one was interested in pursuing it, so we started our own company.” Steve Jobs

Apple Computer started after Atari and HP said, “No.” It’s dumb to desire rejection. but imagine what might not have happened if Hewlett-Packard said yes.

“No” moves you forward when:

#1. It clarifies motivation.

“The reason we [Woz and I] built a computer is that we wanted one, and we couldn’t afford to buy one.” Steve Jobs

Jobs and Woz did what they wanted to do.

Pressures at work cause forgetfulness. You lose motivation when you forget what you want to do. Even if you don’t like work, it’s good to remember it’s fulfilling to provide for people you love.

Sometimes you don’t know what you want until you can’t have it.

#2. It eliminates possibilities.

I love options, but the easiest way to move forward is to have only one path to follow.

Possibilities paralyze people. Skilled sales people give you either/or decisions. Do you prefer X or Y? Jobs and Woz started Apple because other options didn’t work.

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” Warren Buffett

#3. It prompts innovation.

People tell you what won’t work. Innovation begins when you say, “But what might work?”

Rejection is redirection.

#4. It ignites learning.

Knowers don’t learn. Learning begins with, “I don’t know.” Sometimes when people say, “I don’t know,” I say, “But if you did know…”

A closed door is an invitation to learn.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill

What are some advantages to rejection?

What are the best ways to respond to a door closing?

Still curious:

3 Ways to Respond to Failure: Get a Bigger Nail

How to Face Resistance to Your Great Ideas

I invite you to check out our book, The Vagrant.

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How To Reduce Your Worry In Only 10 Minutes

Escape from worries about past and future and find it easier to focus on the present moment.

Just ten minutes of mindfulness each day is effective against repetitive anxious thoughts, research reveals.

The practice can also help stop your mind from wandering.

People in the study who meditated for only a short period found it easier to focus on their present-moment external experience rather than their internal thoughts.

Mr Mengran Xu, the study’s first author, said:

“Our results indicate that mindfulness training may have protective effects on mind wandering for anxious individuals.

We also found that meditation practice appears to help anxious people to shift their attention from their own internal worries to the present-moment external world, which enables better focus on a task at hand.”

82 participants in the study either did 10 minutes meditation or listened to an audio story.

Those who meditated were better able to stay focused on a subsequent task they were given.

Mr Xu said:

“Mind wandering accounts for nearly half of any person’s daily stream of consciousness.

For people with anxiety, repetitive off-task thoughts can negatively affect their ability to learn, to complete tasks, or even function safely.

It would be interesting to see what the impacts would be if mindful meditation was practiced by anxious populations more widely.”

Studies have also found that mindfulness meditation has many benefits, including reducing depression and pain, accelerating cognition, increasing creativity, debiasing the mind and much more.

The study was published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition (Xu et al., 2017).

Author: Jeremy Dean

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