5 ways to positively reinforce your team

It’s not easy to build a company culture focused around positivity. It is something you need to practice every day and engrain into the habits of your team. Here are 5 small things we practice at Praiseworthy that continuously cultivate a positive reinforcement culture continuously on a daily basis.

1. High Fives: Many research studies have shown that touch can alleviate anxiety and stress as well as build a sense of trust. This is how powerful of a tool human touch can be. In the office, we try to high five each team member at least once per day.

2. Practice and Teach Positive Body Language: Have you ever heard the saying, “fake it ’til you make it”? This famous Ted Lecture on Body Language says it all — we need to continuously be aware of our body language. Practicing positive body language can increase your levels of testosterone (helping you fight anxiety and stress), as well as change the way people perceive you and treat you. In sum, if you exude positive body language, you will be more positive and feel happier.

3. Catch them when they’re good: Research shows that the best way to coach an employee is to give them 7 pieces of positive feedback for every piece of negative feedback. Let your employees know when they’re doing a great job, and that you see them improving based on previous feedback. Catching them when they’re good boosts their confidence and enables them to grow with the company.

4. Gratitude Standup: Showing gratitude can inhibit feelings of anxiety and fear — common emotions that develop within a growing company. A generous display of appreciation can be the key to your success and to empowering your team. To keep up a habit of showing gratitude, we perform an exercise at our weekly all staff meeting, usually saying who or what we are grateful for in our work and personal lives. It gives us time to step back, see the big picture, and reflect on why we’re here and what drives us to do what we do.

5. Praise Boxes: This is something we invented at Praiseworthy to continue to practice the habit of gratitude and foster team bonding. When it is someone’s birthday, they receive a special love-filled box containing notes from each of us stating what we love about them and their work. The “Praise Box” reminds each of us of the importance of the person in both the team and in our lives.