Self exploration is vital for reducing stress and anxiety, improving overall health, boosting work place morale and learning new skills and thought processes that can be transferred into the workplace.
Despite this, it’s interesting that not nearly enough companies encourage their workers to practice it. Today we want to show you how you can establish and nurture self exploration as part of your company or teams daily work structure.
The results will speak for themselves in the form of better performing, happier employees.
4 TIPS FOR USING SELF EXPLORATION TO MAKE YOUR EMPLOYEES (AND BOARD MEMBERS) HAPPY
It’s often when we’re alone or in a one to one setting that we’re at our most creative. This is because we’re not distracted by other people and we can be free to explore and work through our thought processes, using our own intuition.
It’s also when we’re away from the work place and in our own head space that we can truly recharge our batteries, change our perspectives and think outside of the box.
We’re now going to show you how you can actively make sure that these moments are a regular part of your employees working week so that they can achieve better performance and health.
#1-Make Recreation A Priority
No matter what line of work you’re involved in, the importance of taking much needed time off or down time cannot be overstated.
Having time away from work is absolutely essential for many people to allow them to achieve better health. It allows most of us to reduce our levels of anxiety and stress, focus on what makes us feel fulfilled and generally gives us the essential space we need to explore our own identities.
Some people actually get that same sense of fulfilment and stress reduction from being at work, even in high stress positions. If you’re one of these individuals then don’t forget to wind down the intensity and relax once in a while to allow your nervous system to fully recharge so that you can continue to perform at peak levels.
When we’re able to take some down time, we usually come back into our working environments with fully recharged batteries and new perspectives, thought processes and skills to boot. Depending on what we choose to do with that time, of course.
This is why as standard, you should always encourage the people working for you to make use of their annual leave time. There are plenty of other ways to ensure that they get their recreational fix, too.
Plan regular team social meets or activities outside of the work place, establish score boards for performing certain activities away from work or even set aside a space in the office where people can go to completely unwind away from the hustle and bustle during stressful periods.
However you choose to encourage recreation, making it a priority is a must for a more positive working experience.
#2-Let Your Employees Create Their Own Solutions
One of the easiest ways to squash motivation is to constantly tell people what to do. Instead, by allowing them to choose how to progress themselves you’re going to see much greater results.
When a person feels like they own something they take greater pride in it. This is why wherever possible, it’s a good idea to use one to one meetings as an opportunity to let the people working for you tell you how they’re going to move forward themselves.
Only steer them when they need to be steered, but try to allow them to explore and figure out their own solutions to complex workplace situations. It’ll make their confidence levels skyrocket and they’ll feel like you truly value their perspective and input.
This is a winning recipe for employee satisfaction.
#3- Regularly Communicate With Open Questions
Whether it’s a one to one meeting or a general chat at the coffee machine, asking open questions is a really easy but impactful way to encourage the people working for you to practice self exploration.
Where you can, avoid trying to make the conversations that you have with your workers about you.
Your own perspective should only be used when it’s truly relevant. Instead, try to make sure that the questions you ask and the statements you make give the person in front of you the opportunity to explore and use their own initiative.
Sure, a little idle chatter is fine and you don’t always need to have the switch flicked into the “on” position when it comes to using open questioning. But with the more meaningful personal and professional conversations in life, it’s always best to encourage a self led discussion so that people feel like they’ve truly been able to express themselves.
#4-Ask For And Deliver Regular Feedback
Feedback forms the backbone of personal and professional progress. As a director, CEO, executive or any type of upper level management. You should actively seek regular feedback.
By making yourself vulnerable and fully understanding what you need to do to grow yourself, it’ll allow you to be able to deliver more effective feedback to your team members. You’ll be able to empathise with your colleagues because you’ll remember statements and phrases that you feel could have been delivered more constructively and effectively.
There’s nothing more powerful than receiving truly constructive feedback, either.
When we’re provided with feedback that we can genuinely action, as opposed to making a person feel negative or upset, it’ll actually make them feel invigorated and ready to explore how they can improve in the areas that they need to improve in.
You’ll ignite a flame that leads to self development and what’s really important about this is that this development is going to be lead by them. Provide them with enough information to make them aware of where they need to place their focus, then let them fly.
Check in regularly to see how they’re progressing but ultimately, let them do the work.
HOW DO YOU CREATE SELF EXPLORATION?
Do you encourage your employees to regularly engage in recreational activities? Have you ever benefitted from or do you encourage others to explore the benefits of professional coaching as a means of discovering areas of improvement? What advice do you have for people who aren’t providing their employees with the much needed space they require for self exploration?
We’d love it if you could share this post and provide some of your own tips at the same time for allowing colleagues and even members of the management team to achieve a higher level of work place satisfaction and health through some all important inner reflection.