NLP Weekly: Practice Glimmers of Gratitude - October 11, 2024

NLP Weekly: Making your leadership & performance second nature.

Performance: Glimmers > Groundbreakers

A gratitude practice is now recognized through multiple studies, "to benefit our mental and physical health, decision-making, metabolism, hormone regulation, and helps us in times of crisis." (Big Think, April 2020)

One of the recurring themes that I find when discussing with clients what they are thankful or grateful for is their initial inclination to identify one massive action or occurrence from the past few days that significantly and sustainably changed the trajectory of their life for the positive, forever. 

Okay - a little exaggeration there, however, more often than that when someone is asked to pause and share for what they are most grateful from the past week, they struggle to identify something because they self-admittedly are searching for something that serendipitously entered their life solving their current biggest challenge or frustration.

A Gen Z client shared me with that "gratitude doesn't work for me. I've tried." Digging deeper, they tried to journal for 30 days, concluded that was a sufficient amount of long-term consistent effort, and their life's course hadn't altered. 

One of my "noticings" from working with multiple Gen Z clients over the past few years is that their concept of time is hilariously short. Good friends they've known for while = ~2 months. If you work with Gen Z in any capacity, understanding their definitions is critical to partnering, leading, managing, and coaching them.

"Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. Small, spontaneous moments where you feel calm, peaceful, joyful or all of the above." ~Ernesto Lira de la Rosa

Focus on glimmers rather than "groundbreakers".

Leadership: Recognition = Gratitude.

When we're invited to practice gratitude it is most often in the context of ourselves applied in some sort of daily reflection. I do highly encourage you to do this - the science on it is proven.

Gratitude as part of your leadership practice is both unbelievably simple and effective -so long as it is authentic.

At work you might know gratitude by its corporate nickname: recognition. Giving recognition and expressing gratitude for someone's performance, effort, or execution must be delivered reasonably quickly. It certainly doesn't need to wait for a public event.

Often the people we lead need us to point out that they did something worthy of gratitude and recognition.

How you give recognition can be incredibly impactful.

Sure, you can send an email or a Slack / Teams message but you know what works better? Doing it in-person. If you can't do it in-person, make a phone call (A real phone call though, with a telephone, not through Teams ffs.) 

Even better practice?

Give the recognition and gratitude to people who are not on your team or one of your direct reports - especially if you are a senior leader. People on your team might think that recognizing their efforts is part of your job (ps - they're right). People not on your team? They won't see it coming. Your phone call with change their day. 

Put a thank you card on the desk or mail them one (you might need to get your HR or People team to do the addressing).

"Hey Sarah, it's Graham in Sales. I heard from Jen how you helped a frustrated customer today with a return. I know you might think you're just doing your job, but how you handled it demonstrated great leadership, compassion, and the level of customer service we strive for - I just wanted to call and say thank you."

Nature: 20-5-3 Rule 

For some people, it can be taking in the sunset or sunrise, thinking of their pet, a smell that takes you back to a happy memory, seeing the leaves change during the seasons," ~Lira de la Rosa

If you're in Canada, we have our Thanksgiving Long Weekend this weekend. The extra time is a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature.

Most people have no idea how impactful nature can be, especially when most North Americans spend 92% of their life indoors and over 11 hours each day connected to digital media / devices.

I love the 20-5-3 Rule:

• 20 minutes 3x per week in a city park or tree lined street
• 5 hours further in nature 1x per month
• 3 days annually in wilderness without cell signal

3 days results in: 21% drop in stress response, 29% drop in PTSD symptoms, and a 50% improvement in decision-making.

20 minutes 3x per week still moves that needle. 

So, get outside this weekend.

be awesome today,

-Graham