Proof Positive
How Simple Motivation Techniques and Toys Can Improve
Attitudes in the
Workplace
Trust. Comfort. Friendship. Fun.
Do these words trigger any positive feelings about
your workplace? Though the majority of people spend
most of their time at the office, they rarely
categorize it as a place they want to be.
Shouldn’t you enjoy going to work? What can you
do about your negative view of the workplace?
It all boils down to attitude. If you bring a
positive attitude into the office, you will be
healthier, happier and more productive. Not to
mention you’ll breathe new life into your
organization that will be contagious to the people
surrounding you.
Deborah Jiang Stein, founder of Attitude
Matters, Minneapolis, Minn., shares a few ideas and
products that are sure to raise the energy level in
any organization. Read on to see how a few seconds of
fun and laughter can benefit your organization and
your overall way of life.
“All work and no play makes John a dull
boy.”
...not to mention unproductive, depressed,
unhappy, unhealthy and stressed. Attitude is as
important in the workplace as knowledge and
experience, yet we spend little time developing a
positive one. The majority of our lives are spent
working and common sense tells us that our workplace
should be the most comfortable place we occupy. The
days of slumping into a cubicle, sitting at a desk
all day doing menial tasks and accepting that as a
part of life are over. While a select few are lucky
enough to wake up in the morning with anticipation of
starting the workday, most of us dread being stuck in
the office all day. Attitude is not a
given—it’s a choice. And we have the
power to choose to be positive.
There is a direct correlation between a
positive attitude and enhanced work performance.
Positive employees are content, hardworking and loyal
to their organization. When employees view their job
as exciting and fun, it can only mean positive
benefits for the organization.
It seems like a simple equation: A positive
attitude equals productive, successful employees and
increases staff retention. But companies are just
beginning to acknowledge the importance of positive
attitude training. Most organizations can not afford
to send all of their workers to seminars, so what
kind of an investment would it be for a company to
help employees maintain a positive attitude? How can
an employer create a comfortable, friendly and
positive environment?
Motivation techniques don’t have to be
complicated or costly. A simple friendly smile by the
water cooler could ignite a positive attitude in a
coworker. Small gestures, such as telling a riddle or
reading a quote, could have a profound affect on your
organization.
Deborah Jiang Stein, Chief Attitude Officer of
Attitude Matters, Minneapolis, Minn., has created a
business out of this concept and has embarked on a
mission to bring positive attitudes into the
workplace. “I recognized that people just liked
quick motivation that was meaningful—that
wasn’t frivolous—that wasn’t sort
of a feel-good kind of thing,” says Stein. She
has always enjoyed reading quirky quotes and odd
eccentric facts about the world and has developed
inexpensive gadgets and toys to help spark friendly
conversation allowing employees some breathing room
from the sometimes smothering office
atmosphere.
Positive Performance
These simple ideas create a friendly community that
encourages employees to forge friendships with their
coworkers and encourage a productive atmosphere.
According to Sanders and Sydney Careers Consultant
Firm, friendship, like pay and benefits, is crucial
to staff retention, employee happiness and
productivity. However, friendships are sometimes
harder to build than a solid business.
It is important to remember that attitude not
only affects you personally, it affects your
coworkers as well. If you walk into the office
already in a bad mood it will most likely rub off
onto your coworkers. Why not take a few moments to
read an inspirational quote to get your creative
juices flowing? (see box on page 15) Stein uses this
notion as a basis for her products and created a
series of sayings and challenges that can help
jumpstart casual conversation in the office and give
employees a chance to give their minds a rest.
The subtle spark of conversation is just
enough to encourage interaction between two people
that may rarely communicate with each other outside
of the business realm. Employees will appreciate the
gesture and the opportunity to take a little break
from their work.
These products can also be used as icebreakers
for team projects or staff meetings. “They help
begin conversation when it’s hard to know where
to start. Even if it’s a quirky fact like,
‘walruses burn easily.’ I mean, what is
that? Just laugh and then talk about something
serious.”
A Little Goes a Long Way
“Casual employee interactions improve group
cohesion and can build relationships across otherwise
conventional boundaries,” says Stein. These
suggestions and products inspire creativity and
motivate positive attitudes by integrating play at
work without a lot of time, effort or expense. The
key is to create a playful atmosphere without a lot
of time and disruption.
She has designed her products to be a
“jumping off point.” “People
don’t spend all day using our products. You can
pull one, use it to talk about whatever your theme is
in a conference or a meeting or for teambuilding. We
don’t expect that people will stay with
whatever we give them. I hope the mood stays with
them, but not the actual product.” Small
gadgets are relatively non-interruptive mood
boosters, whereas half-day retreats sometimes mean
employees have to work later on another day at the
expense of the time away.
The idea is to spark interactions and
conversations among employees in a casual, yet
positively focused manner. “We believe that if
people laugh and have a spark of motivation, that
they go back to work easier, work harder and are more
productive because they’re happier,” says
Stein.
In reality, most companies can’t afford
to put a foosball or a pool table in the office for
employees to let off steam. Yet the importance of
breaks and casual conversation with coworkers
can’t be diminished. Small conversation
boosters, such as magnets with quotes, riddles and
fortunes are durable, get passed around and can be
used over and over again. It’s a small
investment for a positive and productive workplace.
Stein even has a room in the Attitude Matters office
full of gadgets, toys and prototypes and encourages
her staff to play throughout the day.
Jest for the Health of It
People are constantly looking for ways to combat
stress in their lives, especially in the workplace. A
recent study by the American Institute of Stress
stated that 43 percent of all adults suffer poor
health from stress. On the same note, another study
by the William M. Mercer human resource consulting
firm found that 55 percent of employers surveyed
believe fun eases workplace stress. And a growing
number of researchers say that the fun of
noncompetitive play is a healthy way for adults to
combat stress.
“Attitude has a greater impact on health
than some medical procedures. People with positive
attitudes also have high self-esteem, better moral
decision-making skills and a positive outlook on
life,” says Stein.
Healthy employees also contribute to the
bottom line with higher performance and fewer sick
days. The American Institute of Stress also found
stress-related absenteeism, diminished productivity,
employee turnover and direct medical, legal and
insurance fees cost U.S. businesses $300 billion
annually. That’s a high price to pay for a bad
attitude. Stein suggests reminding employees of the
importance of balancing work and life by printing a
message like, “I only stretch so far” or
“Choose to be flexible” on their Attitude
bands. These are colorful, wearable rubber bands
designed to stimulate conversation and positive
thoughts.
Managers and supervisors also need to keep
this in mind. “Supervisors need to maintain a
positive attitude which translates to the people
around them, both peers and direct-reports.
Supervisors also need to be willing to take breaks,
even during stressful and deadline-filled times, for
a little laughter or to understand the outlook of
employees,” says Stein.
A positive attitude is projected throughout
the workplace and it starts with just a few people.
Stein believes that if employees know their employer
is concerned with keeping them happy, they’ll
perform and want to stay with that company. And in a
day and age of high turnover rates and growing
opportunity, nothing could be more
important.
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