Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Career Coach: Enthusiasm is contagious

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Recently, I had an instructor in an exercise class who was so enthusiastic that it really made me have a fantastic experience. Yet, the next time I went to the class, someone else taught it and it seemed to drag on forever. This same thing happens at work. When you are with enthusiastic people or you are enthusiastic, it can really affect your entire experience. Not only that, but it can also impact your career success and advancement.

For example, many employers have told me that when they evaluate job applicants, they not only look at their skills and experiences, but they also look for those who demonstrate enthusiasm. As they have said, candidates who demonstrate positive attitudes have an advantage over those who display negative or lackluster attitudes. Employers worry that negative applicants will not get along with others at work, will treat customers poorly and may not put much effort into their work. On the other hand, employees who are seen as enthusiastic are seen as providing good customer service, resolving interpersonal conflict effectively and working more productively with others. According to several sources, the enthusiasm you display on a job interview can make the difference between getting the job or not.

So, how can you show enthusiasm at work?

Make sure it comes across as sincere. Sometimes just smiling makes a big difference to people around you. It puts them in a better mood. Your nonverbal cues can reflect a lot about your enthusiasm. Sit up straight, make eye contact and use upbeat tones when communicating to others.

Using positive communication in your e-mails and other correspondence with your boss, colleagues and customers is important. After drafting an e-mail, reread it to make sure it has a positive focus.

Proactively approach customers and colleagues to offer assistance or seek out tasks and projects. Show initiative — that you are willing to do what it takes to get the job done.

Get feedback from a trusted friend or coach about how you come across. Are you enthusiastic? You say yes, but others say no. You may not be aware of your facial expressions or nonverbals and how much they can indicate that you are either happy and enthusiastic or miserable and skeptical. Yet, while you may not be aware of this, others around you can read it very easily. You may be wondering why they don’t find you open or engaged at work. It could be partly because of how you come across. Several executives that I have coached never realized that they were sending negative vibes to others based on their facial expressions. They never really knew how upset or unhappy they looked. Just by being aware of this and working to maintain a positive facial image enables you to change how others perceive you.

Take time for hobbies to reduce stress and to keep you pleasant. It’s amazing how exercise or having fun can alter your mood. It sounds obvious, but often we put off taking that walk or working on that puzzle or going to a museum. Yet, once we do it, we realize how much fun we have had and we come back to our work with a much better perspective. So treat yourself to some fun time!

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