Anticipation…POW or WOW?
“We can never know about the days to come but we think about them anyway.”
These lyrics are from the song, “Anticipation”, made famous by Carly Simon in 1971 (if you’re too young to remember, just click on the album cover to see her singing a newer version of it. And if you remember the song, the video will surely make you smile!). Lately, I’ve been thinking about the power of anticipation.
I just returned from a great family vacation and I’m already anticipating my next family get-together. I love thinking about how the gathering might be and imagining all the fun in advance of the trip. Merriam-Webster defines anticipation as the “visualization of a future event or state.” (Continued below…)
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“When employees are satisfied, energized & productive, it’s the engine to get things done and the engine to meet outcomes. Vicki provided the key to start our engine!”
Janet Blank, Nurse Manager, 4 South
Carroll Hospital Center
Satisfied Client
Thanks Janet! I couldn’t agree more. This picture is the Professional Paradise board in the 4 South break room. The team is highly motivated. What’s great is that employee engagement is a game changer and it’s the ticket to improving every metric that you measure (safety, quality, satisfaction, etc).
This fall, I’ll be working with organizations and associations nationwide to positively impact engagement and most importantly RESULTS. If you are worried about how you’re going to get everything done and stay sane, contact me to talk about how I can help you, your leadership team or your members.
If you’re worried about your budget, don’t be. There’s a solid ROI for all of the work I do (and the investment for me is WAY LESS than replacing even one high performing employee who leaves due to disengagement. I know you can’t afford to lose those folks!).
What are you waiting for? It’s just a phone call or email to brainstorm and talk about ideas. I’m happy to start a conversation.
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And now back to the article…
My husband, Alan, and I joke because I’m the ultimate anticipator. Talking about a future trip while I’m on a trip is something I like to do. For me, anticipation is usually a big WOW (something internal or external that makes you feel satisfied, energized or productive). Alan on the other hand is more of a “live in the present” kind of guy. He’s not really interested in talking through what might happen. He’s too busy focusing on what is happening. For him, talking too much about the future event is a POW (something internal or external that feels like a heavy blow).
At work, I see that anticipation can be a POW or a WOW.
Which do you lean towards?
Anticipation POWs
How many times at work have you visualized a future event or state in a negative way? That new computer system that’s being installed is sure to be a POW, right? The new manager who is coming on board – probably won’t be good, will she? Having to have that performance related conversation with a team member is going to be terrible…isn’t it?
Why is it that we anticipate things negatively when we don’t know what they will actually be like? Why do we “borrow trouble”?
I’m not sure of the psychology behind this anticipatory doom and gloom (it probably has something to do with risk aversion and survival) and I don’t think that matters for now. What does matter is your ability to shrink the anticipation POWs.
At an individual level, pay attention to POWs you create before they even occur. Either do something to minimize the potential impact of the POW (try using the SHIFT steps from SHIFT to Professional Paradise) or let it go!
At the leadership level, keep your eyes and ears open to understand potential team POWs and shrink the worry by sharing information and your open door. Helping others shrink the anticipation POW can pay dividends by improving engagement.
Write a Happy Ending
To grow WOWs, try to anticipate things in a positive way or as I like to say, “If you don’t know the ending to a story…write a happy ending”.
This is a great reminder for me as well. With my next book for healthcare leaders, 6 Shortcuts to Employee Engagement: Lead & Succeed in a Do-More-with-Less World, being published in mid-August, I’m focusing on a happy ending. In this case, that means everyone who reads the book will benefit and, therefore; employee engagement will improve along with patient satisfaction, safety, quality, profitability, etc. More to come on the book in the weeks ahead.
It’s your choice. Anticipation…POW or WOW? Make it a WOW today!