Tuesday, September 9, 2014
?You?re unique! You?re truly one of a kind.? That?s a compliment that harks back to grade school days. Teachers and parents often tell kids that their quirks are awesome, but in the workplace, this compliment is underused. In today?s business world, quirky likes and interests can go unrecognized in the name of unity and efficiency.
To turn that trend around, we?re celebrating today?s creative national holiday, Wonderful Weirdoes Day. Not only will bringing that spunky compliment back make someone?s day, but it?ll also boost creativity, engagement, and more. Here?s how to do it effectively:
Make it about the work. Conventional workplace thinking puts the interests of the team above those of the individual?that?s why leaders sometimes shy away from recognizing uniqueness. But the fact is, the most creative and engaged teams are made so by their unique combination of members. The irreplaceable points of view and knowledge backgrounds that members bring to the team ultimately contribute to its creative conversation.
Make it a team effort. When a leader purposefully recognizes the unique qualities each team member brings to the table, he sets a precedent for the group to do so as well. Recognizing quirks in a team setting builds camaraderie and trust and shows team members that they?re indispensible to the group as a whole. Make it a team building activity?have each team member find out one quirk about someone else and then spill the beans to the group. Highlighting unique abilities and interests will allow the team to take advantage of the differences within it.
Make it fun. The best thing about quirks is that they?re surprising and off-the-wall. So while recognizing Mary for her design aesthetic and giving her the lead on the new brochure templates is a great way to go about appreciating her originality, don?t be afraid of also secretly planning her birthday lunch around her obsession with fusion food trucks. Even quirks that seem irrelevant to the work at hand are important, because they?re the things that have shaped your awesome employee.
