Positive Intent in the Workplace
As we go through our day-to-day activities in the workplace, many variables determine the dynamics of the workplace, ultimately impacting the results we produce. One of these variables is stress, which, when poorly managed, could infect the workplace with negativity. Hence, the need to cultivate a positive work environment.
" All that counts in life is intention."
- Andrea Bocelli, world-renowned tenor.
What is Positive Intent?
Positive intent is the mindset that assumes individuals act with good intentions, even when faced with negative outcomes. It entails approaching interactions and situations in a professional setting by seeking to understand the underlying motivations influencing someone's actions. Assuming positive intent is the foundation upon which we can have a positive work environment. In its simplest term, assuming positive intent is simply believing that the whole team is doing their very best.
We can see positive intent in practice when we give our fellow workers the benefit of the doubt, assuming they have nothing but pure intentions. Rather than playing the blame game and jumping to negative conclusions, assuming positive intent aims to understand the reason behind the problem and proffer alternatives to tackle such challenges.
As we embrace the power of positive intent in the workplace, it provides a different perspective on how we approach interactions with other workers. This way, we address issues with more openness, empathy and understanding. The more we assume positive intent at work, the easier it is to build better working relationships, resolve conflicts amicably, and ensure employees' overall job satisfaction in the workplace.
How Positive Intent Affects the Workplace
The benefits of positive intent go beyond building good team spirits among coworkers. Over time, it helps improve the professional lives of people who embrace this mindset shift in several ways:
Better Collaboration and Communication
When people assume their colleagues have good intentions, they are more open to engaging them in conversations, listening actively and providing feedback when needed. When this becomes the culture of the employees in the workplace, the energy becomes contagious, and ideas tend to flow more easily, creating the right environment for problem-solving and fostering creativity.
In addition, the effect of positive intent can be recognized in collaboration between coworkers. This way, there would be no cause for defensiveness in the workplace, ensuring a sense of oneness among the team members. Successful organizations incorporate positive intent by developing a "Feedback Culture".Feedback culture is developed when employees are encouraged to provide constructive criticism to their colleagues, peers, reports and bosses. Instead of assuming harmful intent behind feedback, the organization promotes the mindset of positive intent. Employees are trained to give feedback with the belief that their colleagues genuinely want to improve and grow. The result is that organizations can innovate and "fail fast" in a safe place, knowing they can learn and grow.
Improved Empathy and Support
Assuming positive intent encourages us as workers to consider the feelings of our coworkers. Empathy has been an essential factor in every successful team and organization- the military, healthcare, sports, entertainment, and the corporate world. Without the assumption of positive intent, what's left of the workplace is an environment filled with tension and stress, without genuine care and support for one another. This would consequently lead to a decline in job satisfaction, loss of employee morale, and an overall negative impact on the well-being of the employees.
Enhanced Conflict Resolution
Many things are likely to happen in the workplace, and one of such things is conflicts- it is almost inevitable to avoid conflict in the workplace. However, with the right approach and addressing the issue with openness and positive intent, such conflicts can become an avenue for growth and foster deeper understanding in the workplace.
Zappos founder Tony Hsieh talks publicly about how happiness and positivity have affected him on his journey. It is evident from their values that positive intent in the workplace is a core value.
Better Leadership Quality
Employers and managers who practice positive intent inspire employees placed under them and create a working environment with trust and enthusiasm as its core. Leaders who assume positive intent provide room for constructive feedback, mentorship, and guidance for their workers without making them feel less of themselves.
Consequently, the employees develop a sense of psychological safety, lifting their spirits to try new things and take constructive risks. If you wish to dive further into the topic of Inclusive Management, check out our 1-hour Training Session for leaders & managers.
“Intention is one of the most powerful forces there is. What you mean when you do a thing will always determine the outcome.”
How to Cultivate Positive Intent in the Workplace
Practicing a positive mindset begins in the mind of every individual. Once you teach such a habit of thinking, it soon becomes muscle memory and seems natural with time. It's even better when you begin to notice its effects in the workplace, which ultimately cuts through to other parts of your life and makes you a more positive person in every ramification.
Positive intent is learnable, and there are practical steps to help build a work environment that encourages employees to practice mental exercises for building positive intent.
1. Educate Your Team on Mindfulness
A keen acknowledgement of self-awareness is at the heart of everyone who practices positive intent. Folks must take time to dwell on their assumptions and biases and address any negative perceptions they might have against other people in the workplace. If possible, employees should be encouraged to practice mindfulness activities, such as meditation or journaling, to help create a positive mindset.
Forbes notes that mindfulness has gone from the self-help section to the business section as more corporations pick up on its benefits.
2. Sign Up for Training Classes
Organizations and companies can promote the act of positive intent in the workplace by organizing programs and opportunities to train workers on essential skills, such as emotional intelligence and communication. Engaging in activities like these can go a long way in helping employees embrace positive intent as a work culture and, by extension, a way of life. For more information about how to improve team communication, check out our Unconscious Bias Training.
3. Lead by Example
Sometimes, all it takes to shape the working culture of a workplace is having a good leader. Having a leader who can model positive intent through their actions and words can inspire other team members, causing them to adopt a similar mindset. Leaders can set the trail for positive intent by recognizing and appreciating the efforts of team members, encouraging open communication, and learning to solve problems without pushing blames.
A good example of this is from Asana. They don't just talk about leading by example at work, and they promote it for everyone.
4. Schedule Fun & Positive Activities
Alive Outdoors is an experiential educational organization, and they've made a great list of free resources. While the list is geared towards young adults and their families, you'll be able to find some unique gems in there that you can download and engage with as a team.
Because the list is exhaustive, try combining a few activities to make a session. For example, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Mindfulness Sit Spot, Who Helped You Grow and Letting Go Of Worries are timeless exercises that work for teams of all ages.
Overcome Challenges Associated with Positive Intent
As with every good thing, training your mind to assume positive intent doesn't come easy. It's not uncommon for people to be met with personal biases, misunderstandings, past experiences and triggers that could get in the way of practicing positive intent.
Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome by a show of commitment both on the side of the employee and the organization. It takes a lot of self-reflection, being open to communication, patience, and understanding for people to have a complete shift of mindset. Time for employees to fully absorb this concept may vary; in this case, consistency in putting efforts to model an attitude of positive intent is of great importance to get positive, long-lasting results.
Positive intent is an important concept that can affect the dynamics of the workplace. Assuming a positive intent behind your colleagues' actions opens you to having better communication, promoting collaboration, and building good work relationships. As an extension, it rubs off on the way of your life and positively influences your well-being and job satisfaction.
As ironic as it may sound, assuming positive intent actually stems from a place of not making assumptions. This implies freeing our minds from past experiences and triggers, which could cause us to make assumptions about people's intent and consequently make us defensive.
In order for positive intent to be successful in a workplace, employers and managers should promote a culture where everyone's opinion is valued and colleagues are able to trust each other, knowing that people are coming from a place of kindness and understanding rather than trying to outshine or come against each other.
Positive intent starts with you! While assuming positive intent seems more to do with how you view the other person's perspective, it all begins with you. When we work on ourselves, ensuring that the messages we pass across come from a place of kindness and positive intent, it becomes easy to assume the same in others, building trust, understanding, and cooperation in the workplace and beyond.
