In the midst of meetings, project deadlines and a million emails, it’s not perhaps a priority to grab your pompoms and play cheerleader with your coworkers. Luckily, encouraging a colleague doesn’t have to consume more than a few minutes of your busy day.
We’re not talking about throwing a pity party or digging deep for true empathy when you have a packed scheduled too. There’s no need to channel your inner cheerleader and bust out a ‘you can do it’ complete with coordinated dance moves. A simple ‘Hey, hang in there’ or ‘I know you’ve got this’ let’s your colleague know that
a) you’re aware of their current workload, project or timeline and that
b) you care without being cheesy, overbearing, judgmental or too emotional.
You may already offer encouragement on a regular basis to close colleagues or to employees whom you directly manage. What about encouraging UP? What about making a new employee on a different team feel welcome ‘again’ on day 5? What about checking in with the summer intern on a monthly basis or as time allows?
I personally enjoy encouraging UP. While overly complicated compliments may seem too cheesy in the workplace, recognizing that your boss is uber busy and offering a quick phrase of encouragement is just a nice thing that you can do as a person who just happens to work for or with somebody. Use timely encouragement opportunities to balance 360 reviews, one-on-one meetings and employee feedback to create a healthy, straightforward and positive work atmosphere.
Try it out today- find two colleagues who have a lot going on and let them know you’re rooting for them even if you leave your pompoms out of it.
DC Daybook 