The Benefit of Positive Coworkers
Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. –Albert Einstein
There’s hopefully one in your office. The positive, fun coworker who fills your office with sunshine. That person who makes your day on a regular basis.
Ironically my favorite upbeat coworker was actually named Sonny, but it should have been spelled Sunny. He was one in a million. You just couldn’t have a bad day at work if you tried when he was around.
There was the time he hid in the coat closet of our ad agency and popped out as I hung my jacket. (This was in Chicago so it got pretty chilly). He once bought flowers, put them on my desk before I came in and pretended they were from a secret admirer. He then laughed hysterically as I looked confused. Sonny also made posters of me doing something silly and put them in the elevators at work as a joke. Keep in mind, this was a 36-story building on Michigan Avenue, so quite a few people saw this. Hundreds. Maybe a thousand. I got some interesting looks the next day from strangers.
When he wasn’t busy playing pranks, he was the coworker who went for coffee with me when I had not gotten enough sleep. He bought me ice cream after a pitch that did not go as well as planned. He gave me advice in a non-judgmental way when I needed it and it served me well.
He was my art director partner and made any task or deadline possible with his upbeat attitude. Work life was never boring when Sonny was in the brainstorm meeting. His enthusiasm made work more exciting for me and other employees. We didn’t usually mind staying until 9 pm or later since we were working with entertaining, creative friends. The end result of having positive employees is not only creating a more positive workplace but also improved overall company morale. Not to mention it’s good for retention.
Don’t mistakenly believe that Sonny wasn’t one of the hardest workers at our agency, pulling crazy long hours especially before pitches. A twelve-hour workday was fairly normal. He just timed his pranks right as people were becoming stressed out with the fast turnarounds and it was much needed comic relief. The work was always done spectacularly and on time.
People find it hard to believe, but this same group of employees, years and years later, have company reunions in Chicago. People come from all over including California, Colorado and I fly up from North Carolina. A stranger witnessing one of our dinners asked what kind of reunion we were having, since none of us look related. He couldn’t believe people who work together could get along this well. We also have our own group Facebook page.
When you have a Sonny, or Dave or whoever at your company, their positive energy will rub off on you, and you’ll be more inclined to put in the time and effort to make work better yourself. Positive feedback motivates people to do even more.
Positivity is a choice and not always easy to attain each and every day. But if you can improve your disposition and spread some office cheer, it will have a ripple effect that positively influences everyone you come in contact with.
Employees spend more of their waking hours with co-workers than they do with their families and friends during the workweek so positive relationships are more valuable than you can measure.
Team members who like and respect each other may be more willing to collaborate for the betterment of a group project rather than worrying about their own success.
So be the kind of person you’d want to work with. Keep it positive and watch the people around you brighten.
