Positively Building Your Business

Positivity Works!

The current sports frenzy of world cups and other major tournaments, with their highs and lows for competing teams and fans, got me thinking about the impact of positive vs negative thinking on performance.

You get in your life what you think about. It’s up to you …. You can either think yourself up with positive “I can do it!” thoughts or pop your own balloon with “I can’t do this”.

Teddy Roosevelt nailed it years ago, when he said “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

If you feel bad about not exercising, all you think about is how little willpower you have, how you’re lazy and that you don’t have any motivation. If you swallow the NIKE ‘Just Do It’ pill and think positively you will get up and reap the rewards.  Same goes for sports people, personal careers and business.

World Cup Positivity!

The great performances, huge media and public interest in the recent Women’s Football World Cup reminds me of a story that illustrates this just perfectly.

Way back in 1996, there was a young English footballer, Gareth Southgate. He had the job of kicking a penalty in the penalty shoot-outs of the semi-finals of Euro 96. Penalties were not his forte (England has famously ‘choked’ in major tournaments in these gunslinger shoot outs). As he approached the ball, he showed really negative body language. England fans knew he was going to miss. So did Southgate. He did miss. England were out of the championship … again!

Fast-forward to the Men’s World Cup 2018. Gareth Southgate Was the new England manager. In the semi-finals, England were facing another penalty shoot-out.  Gareth had built positive thinking towards the idea of a penalty shoot-out into his entire squad, making sure everyone was trained mentally and physically – ready AND willing to take a penalty. The players were positive and prepared. Unsurprisingly, they won the shoot-out.

Clearly there is also a skill factor required in any example, and I guarantee that with the right skills, the right attitude will get you the results you are aiming for.

Positivity – the gift that goes on giving

Barbara Fredrickson was a pioneer in the field of the effect of emotion on performance. A researcher at the University of North Carolina, she tested the impact of positive emotions on the brain. She found that positive emotions broaden our sense of possibility and open our minds to more options.

Significantly, she also found that the benefits of positive emotions don’t stop after the good feelings subside. Fredrickson refers to this as the “broaden and build” theory. Positive emotions broaden our sense of possibility and open our minds. In turn, this allows us to build new skills that provide value in other areas of our life.

A child who runs around outside, swinging on branches and playing with friends, develops the ability to move athletically, to play with others and communicate with a team. The develop curiosity – the ability to explore the world around them. These skills far outlast the emotions of happiness that promoted the play. Emotion kick-starts potentially lifelong skills.

Similarly, in business, a leader who sees career opportunities and grabs the opportunity, will be rewarded by the positive emotions of achievement, as well as developing new skills and experience.

Leveraging positivity for performance

Here are 4 things to do today to leverage positive emotions for performance:

1. Unpack it. Understand what is bothering you, pre-empt what could go wrong and address it head-on. It could be upskilling, practice, or just a mindset shift. Allow yourself to address the negative thoughts and deal with them.
2. Stop minimising your successes. People have a bad habit of continually downplaying successes and not fully appreciating the wins. Take note of your wins, for every small win, celebrate a little bit.
3. Stop all-or-nothing thinking, viewing a situation as all good or all bad. There is always room for improvement, but be careful not to focus on past failures. You win some; you lose some. That’s life!
4. And most importantly, believe in yourself, focus on what you CAN do, look for the “Shit Yeah! I can do it!” and not the “Oh shit, I can’t do it”

Contact JBC for help reviewing, setting and focus on positively growing your career and business