Dave Caperton

Everyone has occasionally been stuck in a traffic jam and when that happens, nobody is happy. In that gridlock, time gets wasted, plans get altered, and everyone around you is part of the problem. The worst part is that there is nothing you can do. Or is there? A recent story in the Wall Street Journal described how one person can help solve a traffic backup. But to do so it requires both the right actions and attitudes. Just as stalled freeway traffic is bigger than any one driver, the challenges you might be facing in and out of work can seem to dwarf your ability to have an impact. Yet did you know that recent research shows that one person’s influence initiated in a single act of positivity can have an influence on people they haven’t and may never meet?

When you learn and commit to the choices and actions that amplify your influence and improve individual and organizational health, you’ll realize your individual potential and the power of one to make all the difference.

Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Apply the 1P + 1Q = C (1 person plus 1 question = Change) formula for changing their work culture
• List the two attitudes necessary to solve the problems that affect everyone
• Describe how to fulfill three employee needs with small actions that cost nothing
• Explain how observing the “magic ratio” of positive-to-negative interactions with others can allow one to have the honest and sometimes difficult conversations without destroying trust

There are certain processes that we trust to produce physical results. If we exercise, we get stronger. If we eat right, we get healthier. New research shows that there is a process that can be learned that results in joy in what we do as surely as exercise results in physical strength and better health (and it’s a lot easier than getting six-pack abs).

To be positive isn’t to deny the negative, it’s to maintain an attitude of possibility and to refuse to the dead-end of “No” or “It can’t be done.” Positivity is the doorway when you hit the wall, the beginning of innovation, and the key to providing value and service. And the best part, it can be learned as a skill for personal and organizational growth!

We all know that stress can lead to burnout, immune suppression and illness, but new research suggests that a lot of what we think we know about stress is wrong. Stress is a natural part of living a productive and purpose-centered life.  Instead of a futile attempt to eliminate it, learn how to accept your stress and the techniques that will disrupt it or channel it to cope and and to thrive even when the pressure is on.

Laughter doesn’t just feel good, it’s good for you. Besides interrupting the stress-response, a healthy sense of joy and humor has also been found to improve immune function, relieve pain, and has been shown to be a proven predictor of longevity. Joy and compassionate humor have healing benefits both for self-care and for administering healing to others.

The effect of leadership is seen in its impact on the behavior of other people. Servant-leaders connect and build trust by providing what others need to grow and succeed.  O.P.E.N. stands for “ Other People’s Emotional Needs.” Learn the elements of effective and influential communication that will inspire trust and increase leadership, regardless of where you fit on the flow chart.

Learning should be fun. Albert Einstein once observed that “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in …knowledge.” Great educators have long understood that enthusiasm and joy are critical to effective teaching.  If you know how to consistently engage and energize your students, the learning process becomes more successful, less stressful and more fun.