HOW CAN AN ENTREPRENEUR GET HIS TEAM TO BE OPTIMISTIC?

Accelerate your business "How can an entrepreneur make his team optimistic? Analyse and discover this TIP!

Why a good culture of optimism in a new company?

An optimistic team culture can have a number of benefits for the company and its members, among them:

1. Increased motivation: Team members will be more motivated by having a positive attitude towards the challenges and objectives of the company.
2. Improvement of the working environment: An optimistic and positive work environment can lead to a more pleasant and collaborative work climate, which in turn improves productivity and team performance.
3. Creativity and innovation: A team with an optimistic and proactive culture is more likely to generate creative and innovative ideas to improve the company.
4. Reduction of work-related stress: An optimistic and positive culture can reduce levels of stress and anxiety at work, which improves the well-being and mental health of team members.
5. Improvement of the company's image: An optimistic and committed team can convey a positive image of the company to the outside world, which can attract new customers and employees.

In short, an optimistic team culture can have a positive impact on various aspects of the company, improving motivation, the work climate, creativity, the mental health of team members and the company's image.

There are several ways in which an entrepreneur can foster optimism in his team:

1. Effective communication: Make sure your team understands the company's vision and goals. Regularly communicate progress and celebrate successes and achievements together.
2. Positive culture: It fosters a positive working culture where team members can express their ideas and opinions freely, feel valued and enjoy their work.
3. Recognition and rewards: Recognise a job well done and reward team members who contribute to the success of the company. This can include bonuses, incentives or simply a verbal thank you.
4. Training and development: Provide your team with the tools and training they need to do their job effectively. This will increase their confidence and improve their performance.
5. Focus on solutions: Instead of focusing on problems, foster a problem-solving mindset in your team. Work together to find creative and effective solutions to the challenges facing the business.
6. Working environment: Create a pleasant and welcoming working environment where team members feel comfortable and motivated. This may include office décor, music or organising team activities outside working hours.

In general, fostering a positive and productive work environment can be key to keeping the team motivated and optimistic.

These are uncertain times, with shifting economies, ephemeral uses, arts and products that turn entrepreneurship into a hard journey. Those who make the pilgrimage to Santiago know that there are very complicated stages and days of very bad weather, but I have not met anyone who has given up and most walkers repeat the journey. That persevering and enthusiastic entrepreneurial attitude inspires these three suggestions for building optimistic organisations.

• KEEPING UP WITH EXPECTATIONS: "CELEBRATE".

There is no business without expectations. Whether you are an employee or you have your own project, at some point you have considered that you were capable of contributing some value to the market. Although that vision should work as a motivator, too much negative information, difficulties and threats hijack our energies and turn us into mere fire extinguishers. To regain that positive focus, my favourite tool is to "brainstorm" achievements. Just as we investigate failures, organise meetings to analyse what goes well. If celebrating a success helps to generate a positive emotional state and helps to strengthen relationships, brainstorming it is even better, because it allows us to study what actions have led us to achieve that result and create a programme to replicate them. 

• CAPITALISING ON IMPROVISATION

In business schools we are taught to analyse and design strategic plans. When the pandemic burst into our lives, uncertainty became the most certain thing we had and we had to break with our plans to chart a new course almost daily. We learned to work with effectuation, which means doing the best you can with the resources you have at your disposal. 

My proposal is to incorporate this improvisation into normality; without complexes. Analyses are based on the past and leave out the irregular aspects, and the unforeseen, when market behaviour depends largely on uncertain circumstances. To paraphrase Robert Poynton, you don't necessarily have to stress to organise, plan and control everything, because it is precisely in entropy that extraordinary connections and creations occur. A necessary clarification is that improvisation does not replace planning, it complements it, and capitalising on it consists of taking every eventuality as an opportunity, letting natural behaviours flow, changing the rules or even letting these rules create themselves. 

• MAKING THE MOST OF RESOURCES: JOBCRAFTIN (VER+TIP)

Optimism is not about believing that circumstances will work in our favour or disregarding threats, but about having confidence in our ability to deal with them. Building an optimistic organisation therefore requires making all its capabilities effective. I would venture to say that we waste more than fifty percent of human potential. Some studies show how people feel that in their work they do not have the opportunity to do what they do best; possibly because they are confined to predefined tasks and roles.

Jobcrafting is a methodology that invites us to tailor our work to our competencies, interests and potential. It may seem complex, but it starts with this simple and useful statement: "This is our mission as a company; what can you contribute; how can we in the organisation help you? You will be surprised to learn how much we can contribute when we take on the responsibility to contribute without being imposed how.

Enhance what is going well, unleash talent and accept improvisation because obstacles, detours and difficulties are part of the journey, but the important thing is not to keep to the path you have set, but to keep to the destination. Have a good journey!

What are the risks of over-optimism in a team?

While an optimistic culture can be beneficial for a team, over-optimism can have some risks, such as:

1. Lack of realism: Over-optimism can cause team members to lose sight of the real issues and challenges facing the project or company. This can lead to a lack of proper planning and unrealistic decision-making.
2. Lack of foresight: Over-optimism can also lead team members to fail to foresee potential problems and contingencies that may arise along the way. This can cause the team to be unprepared for unforeseen situations and find it difficult to resolve them.
3. Complacency: If the team becomes overly optimistic, it can lose the motivation and discipline to keep working hard and overcoming challenges. This can lead to over-complacency and a decrease in the quality of work.
4. Decision-making risk: Over-optimism can lead team members to take risky decisions without due consideration of the risks and consequences. This can result in financial and reputational losses for the project or the company.

In short, it is important that optimism is balanced with a realistic approach and appropriate caution to ensure that the team remains focused on objectives and prepared to face challenges and contingencies.

Practical examples to promote optimism

Here are some practical examples of how to foster optimism in a team:

1. Celebrate successes: It is important to recognise and celebrate the team's achievements, however small. This helps to create a positive atmosphere and encourages motivation.
2. Encourage open communication: Creating an environment in which problems and concerns can be discussed openly helps to prevent negativity and to find solutions together.
3. Create a positive vision: It is important for the team to have a clear and positive vision of the future, which will help them to maintain morale and motivation.
4. Give positive feedback: Recognising and highlighting achievements and positive aspects of the team's work is a good way to foster optimism and confidence in their abilities.
5. Encourage teamwork: Teamwork fosters collaboration and communication, which can create a positive and mutually supportive environment.
6. Provide learning opportunities: Learning and personal development can be a source of motivation and optimism for the team, so providing opportunities to learn new skills and acquire knowledge can be very beneficial.

Remember that fostering optimism is not about ignoring problems or being naïve. It is about finding ways to face difficulties with a positive and collaborative attitude.

A leader can do several things to foster optimism in his or her team, among them:

1. Communicate clearly and transparently: A leader must communicate clearly and transparently the company's objectives, goals and expectations. He or she must maintain open communication with his or her team and be willing to listen to their opinions and suggestions.
2. Recognise and celebrate achievements: A leader should recognise and celebrate the achievements of his or her team, however small. This can be done through rewards, bonuses or simply public recognition at a meeting.
3. Encourage collaboration and teamwork: A leader should encourage collaboration and teamwork in his or her company. This can be done through team projects, team building activities or simply by fostering a collaborative working environment.
4. Be a role model: A leader must be a role model for his or her team. He or she should be optimistic, motivated and committed to the company. If a leader demonstrates a positive attitude, his or her team is more likely to be positive as well.
5. Provide opportunities for learning and growth: A leader should provide learning and growth opportunities for his or her team. This may include training courses, mentoring or even assigning challenging new projects for employees to grow and develop.

In short, a leader can foster optimism in his or her team through clear and transparent communication, recognising and celebrating achievements, encouraging collaboration and teamwork, being a role model and providing opportunities for learning and growth.

How can obstacles be overcome and optimism maintained in a team?

To overcome obstacles and maintain optimism in a team, the following steps can be taken:

1. Identify the obstacle: The first thing is to recognise the obstacle and determine its nature. Understanding the details of the situation will help to find the best way to overcome it.
2. Analyse possible solutions: Once the obstacle has been identified, different solutions should be analysed and considered. It is important to involve the whole team in this process to get different perspectives and opinions.
3. Select the best solution: after analysing all the options, the best solution to overcome the obstacle must be chosen.
4. Take action: it is important to implement the selected solution quickly and effectively.
5. Maintain a positive attitude: Maintaining a positive attitude and encouraging the team to remain optimistic is essential to overcoming obstacles and achieving goals. Celebrating successes and recognising a job well done also helps to maintain a positive attitude.
6. Learning from experience: after overcoming an obstacle, it is important to reflect on what was learned and how this experience can be applied in future similar situations.

In summary, to overcome obstacles and maintain optimism in a team, it is important to identify the obstacle, analyse possible solutions, select the best solution, take action, maintain a positive attitude and learn from the experience.

Positive Mindset Phrases

Once you have replaced your negative thoughts with positive ones, you will start to see positive results.

POSITIVE THINKING PHRASES:

1. "Believe in yourself and everything is possible".
2. "Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success".
3. "Opportunities don't happen, you create them".
4. "If you can dream it, you can achieve it".
5. "Don't give up, every failure is an opportunity to start again with more experience".
6. "Failure is a necessary part of success".
7. "Happiness is not a given, it comes from your own actions".
8. "It doesn't matter how slow you go, as long as you don't stop".
9. "There is always something to be thankful for".
10. "Positivity is a choice, optimism is an attitude".

"Remember that a positive mindset can help you face challenges with more energy and resilience, and maintain an optimistic attitude in the face of difficulties". -Willie Nelson.

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"Success is falling nine times and getting up ten times". -Jon Bon Jovi.

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"Positive thinking is the first step in shaping your mind to focus on the positive side of life". -Tamara Tillerman . Positive Mindset Phrases  (Positive Mental Attitude).

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"The foundation of positive change, as I see it, is the service you do for another human being". -Lee Iacocca.

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"I do not think of all the misfortunes, but of all the beauty that still remains". -Ana Frank.

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"Trust in time, which often gives sweet ways out of many a bitter difficulty". -Don Quixote de la Mancha.

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"Going out there and fighting a round especially when you think you can't, that makes all the difference in your life." -Rocky Balboa. Positive Mentality Phrases (Character played by Sylvester Stallone).

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Think for yourself and let others enjoy that privilege too. -Voltaire.

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"In order to take positive action, we must develop a positive vision here". -Dalai Lama.

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"The only disability in life is a bad attitude". -Scott Hamilton.

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"The greatest height of heroism that an individual, like a people, can attain is to know how to face ridicule; better still, to know how to make oneself ridiculous and not shrink from ridicule". -Miguel de Unamuno.

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"You are capable of much more than what you are imagining or doing now. -Myles Munroe.

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"If you mess up, it's not your parents' or your teachers' fault, so stop crying about your mistakes and learn from them". -Bill Gates. More positive mindset quotes on Business and Entrepreneurship by Bill Gates.

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"If it is good to live, it is still better to dream, and best of all, to wake up. -Antonio Machado.

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"Laughter is a little holiday". -Miltor Berle.

"A man can be robbed of everything but one thing: his choice of attitude to any kind of circumstance. -Victor Frankl.

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"You have to develop the habit of saying positive things about yourself. It's almost like tricking (sometimes) your mind, because even if it doesn't necessarily 'feel' that way, (your mind) will get into the habit of unconsciously thinking positive things about you". -Victoria Davis. Positive mindset phrases. Unbothered: How To Stay Motivated When Life Is Determined To Stress You Out.

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"Mistakes are portals to discovery". -James Joyce.

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"Positive thinking is more than just a slogan. Positive thinking changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, not only do I improve myself, but also improves the situation of those around me". -Harvey Mackey. Positive mindset phrases.

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"To be miserable is a habit; to be happy is a habit; and the choice is yours". -Tom Hopkins.

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"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet". -Mahatma Gandhi.

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"When you constantly maintain a positive frame of mind, you will be recognised as a problem solver rather than a complainer. People avoid complainers or whiners. Only problem solvers are sought after". -Joseph Sommerville. Positive mindset phrases. The 5 Keys to Interpersonal Success.

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"Keep your face to the sun, so you won't see any shadows". -Hellen Keller.

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"When we start a difficult task, our attitude alone will determine its success, more than anything else". -William James.

"Listen to people talk about their problems, but only sometimes, it's not good to do it all the time. You have to concentrate on the positive. Focus your attention on the good things that happened during the day". –Tristan Jan Tizon.

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"Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible". -Miguel de Unamuno.

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"As you have no experience of things in the world, everything that has some difficulty seems impossible to you". -Don Quixote de la Mancha.

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"I'm a very positive thinker, and I think that's what helps me the most in the most difficult moments". -Roger Federer.

Every morning when I open my eyes I say to myself:

"I alone, and not external events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow has not yet come. I have only one day, today, and I am going to be happy in it". -Groucho Marx.

"Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference". -Winston Churchill. More positive and inspirational quotes by Sir Winston Churchill.

"The most important things in life are your friends, family, health, good humour and a positive attitude towards life. If you have these, then you have everything!" -Catherine Pulsifer.

"Life is not about finding yourself, but about creating yourself". -George Bernard Shaw.

"You can't make positive decisions for the rest of your life without an environment that makes them easy, natural and enjoyable. -Deepak Chopra.

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf". -Jon Kabat-Zinn.

"Whether you believe it or not, both negative and positive thinking are contagious, as they tend to influence not only situations but also the people around you". -Lindsay J. Hallie.

"If it made you happy, it doesn't count as a mistake". -Bob Marley.

"Positive and grateful thoughts don't happen by accident; and you can choose to practice them. Remember, practice makes perfect. -Joyce Meyer.

"He who falls today can rise again tomorrow". -Don Quixote de la Mancha.

"No excellent soul is without a touch of madness". -Aristotle.

"Positive thinking is one of the most important aspects of success. If you want to succeed, you must start with positive thinking, develop self-confidence and, above all, self-responsibility". -Bill McDowell.

"There will always be flowers for those who want to see them". -Henri Matisse.