I love mochas: iced, non-fat, with whip. When the temperature dips below about 40, I switch to hot mochas. I don’t drink them every day, but the days that I do drink them are always extra special.
My new friend Toni loves chocolate milk in the morning.
Dale enjoys green tea. John blends smoothies.
My daughter Natalie always chooses ice water; my other two girls like orange juice.
Some people can’t live without their morning coffee. @tonyjalicea wants his to be fresh ground Guatamalen. @JudiCogen likes a skinny fat burning coffee. My friend @FLORIANins likes his with a hefty dose of Splenda. Jamie takes hers decaf, cream, no sugar.
When my friends choose their favorite morning beverage, they start the morning with a positive experience that may influence their outlook on the rest of their day.
When I know my day includes a trip to Starbucks, my smile is a little brighter and I laugh a little louder.
What if going to work could give you the same feeling? What if you went to work each day excited about the contributions you could make? Giddy about the projects on your to-do list? Exhilarated by the relationships you share with your team?
What if work could be like the perfect drink?
Leaders have the opportunity to help create positive work environments. Policies and procedures, culture and communication: these contribute to employees’ experiences at work. Leaders can be the baristas to serve up a drink to each of their employees. Individual tastes may vary, so there’s no guarantee as a leader that the drink will be perfect each time for each employee.
Even if you do not have a formal leadership position in your organization, you can be a barista.
Add some sweetness, an extra shot of espresso.
Consider what you can do to make work a perfect drink for the people around you. Who can you encourage? Are there quiet ways you can serve that will improve the quality of the work environment for your team?
What can you do to make a difference today?
This was originally posted at Mountain State University LeaderTalk and is reposted with permission.
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.