CJ McClanahan, President of Reachmore Strategies is our guest blogger today. To learn more about Reachmore Strategies please check out their website: http://www.goreachmore.com/
Can a smile really change your entire day?
I would argue that for many (if not most) of us the answer is yes! Consider what is going on in the workplace today. Much of our communication is being reduced to email, instant messages, texts and now even “tweets”.
As a direct result, we have less and less meaningful face to face communication with actual human beings. So, when we do (even if you aren’t a social person) we crave the personal interaction. In addition, we tend to pay attention to less of what we hear out of their mouths as what we see in their appearance and expressions.
Consider the following scenario…
You have a 5 minute meeting with your boss before the workday starts and they happen to be in a grumpy mood. During this meeting they hurriedly rush through their agenda and make very little eye contact. You have no idea what’s wrong, so you begin to assume the worst – they are disappointed with you and your performance.
Throughout the remainder of the day you receive a dozen messages from your boss. Unless your boss is the type of person to fill their emails with happy faces (J) – what tone do you automatically read into the emails? That’s right – negative. So, by the day’s end you are certain you are going to be fired. In addition, chances are that your mood deteriorated as the day drug on and this affected your productivity.
Now, imagine the exact same scenario, except this time your boss smiles at you when you enter her office in the morning and keeps eye contact for the entire meeting. Unless you are a robot (and about 10% – 15% of you are) their smile will improve your mood and make an impact on your productivity.
Think about that the next time you enter a room, join a conversation or look up from your desk when a coworker arrives at a meeting. A smile could change their day.
