We all have different attitudes in our lives, at different times. Of course, we all have many different things going on at any one time too, which can affect how we feel about our working days and how we respond to the people around us.
When working as part of a team, it’s important to keep an eye on all your colleagues as much as possible and to help out if you suspect a problem. For instance, if someone seems to be struggling with a task, ask if there’s anything you can do to help. That’s the whole point of teamwork!
But, if you notice that someone in your office seems down and negative about work, what can you do?
The answer to that depends on whether you’re a colleague of that person or you’re their manager/supervisor. If it’s the latter, check out this video for some extra guidance.
Positive psychology in the workplace relies upon everyone working together and looking out for one another. If you’re a colleague and you notice that someone is looking rather down at their office desk or they just seem generally quite negative, why not ask them if you can help them? Or, simply ask if everything is okay.
For sure, they might just turn around and say they’re ‘fine’, in fact that’s the likely response, but you can go one further. Rather than continually asking them or pushing them, just do something nice for them.
You could grab them a coffee from the machine and drop it on their desk as you walk by with a smile, or you could ask if they want to grab lunch with you in the canteen. These are small things which can help someone start to feel a little more positive about their working days.
When everyone looks out for one another and does what they can to try and boost morale, everyone benefits. People get along better, work productivity increases, and overall, people feel more upbeat about work, rather than constantly feeling down and negative about heading to their office chair on a Monday morning.