IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2018 - 26

retention for the really effective
employees. The positive culture
also attracted new superstars,
adding up to what Gielan calls "a
winning formula."

Gielan with her husband (and fellow author and
happiness researcher), Shawn Achor.

Happiness at Work
Another practice Gielan recommends
How much of your time is spend on the
is to start off with a power lead. Begin eparalyzing aspects of work? How much
mails, conversations, phone calls, and
on energizing aspects? Do you believe
meetings by sharing something positive:
that good things will happen there? Or
about yourself, work, a colleague, praise
are you feeling burned out? Are you satfor someone else, a win, or success. "Be the
isfied with the interactions you have
one sharing the good stuff," she explains.
with others? Are you getting along
"It sets the tone and encourages others
and supportive?
to match in kind, which creates different
Gielan's research found that work optitypes of conversations. It also has huge
mism, positive engagement, and the abilbusiness implications for you."
ity to support others were critical to many
Another suggestion is to use e-mail to
factors of happiness at work and, ultimateyour advantage. Rather than diving right
ly, to being a better colleague, partner,
in and facing the bombardment of mesand friend. Because of this, she focuses on
sages that can cause stress, compose one
transformations, which include developpositive note praising or thanking a difing an optimistic mindset, facing stress
ferent person you know every day.
and negativity, and creating a ripple effect.
"A two-line message that takes two min"Social connections are the greatest
utes to write is the best way to make e-mail
predictor of happiness and best fuel we
work for you," Gielan says. "It's
have for success," Gielan says.
a moment to focus on the
"Connections provide
ways others have done
breadth, depth, and
Work
something nice for
meaning in our
optimism, positive
you or something
relationships. The
engagement, and the
going on in their
more moments
ability to support others
own lives that is
we give ourselves
great. It comto connect posiwere critical to many
municates that
tively with othfactors of happiness at work
social connecers, the better off
and, ultimately, to being
tion you have and
we are."
a better colleague,
meaningfully actiWomen in
partner,
and friend.
vates your network.
m a l e - dominated
It's fuel. Try it for 21
workplaces may not
days. I guarantee it will
feel comfortable fully bechange your relationships for
ing themselves, but Gielan
the better."
encourages it. That's what creates
success. "Speak up in meetings," she advises. "You don't have to have rah-rah
Being an Example Helps Others
cheerleader positivity, but let yourself come
One point that Gielan says is important to
out. We now find when you are grounded in
think more deeply about is the notion that
reality and are optimistic, you improve your
we can't change other people. Many in solevel of success and infect people around
ciety get trapped into believing this, stemyou, creating a virtuous cycle."
ming from bad experiences with negative

IEEE women in engineering magazine

June 2018

people in our pasts. "We cared, we
tried to help them, it didn't work,
so we globalize it," she says. "We
start to believe we can't change
anyone. The reality is, we can
change other people. You can't
expect it to happen on your time
table, but research shows we change people all the time."
Testing the moods of three strangers before and after sitting in silence together in a room for two minutes shows
that the person who is most nonverbally
expressive infects the other two with their
emotions. If they are negative, the other
two become more negative. If relaxed and
smiling, it makes the other people more
positive. "Unspoken thoughts and feelings
influence other people and can change
them," Gielan adds.
In an office, who do you think has the
most power in creating office culture?
Gielan says it's not the most positive person or the most negative, but the person
who expresses their mindset the most.
"Creating a more positive culture at a
company starts by expressing a positive
mindset," she explains. "It increases positive reactions and models good behaviors,
and encourages other closet optimists to
speak up."
One survey found that 31% of workers
across all industries were optimistic but
didn't express their mindset. When hearing a new idea, many don't say anything.
"We create positive culture by speaking
up in these small moments," Gielan conveys. "If thinking a positive thought, say
it. You can be a positive culture ambassador. Those who are expressive give a
license to others to do the same. Do it by
taking little steps."
-Debbie Sniderman is the chief
executive officer of VI Ventures LLC, an
engineering consulting firm, and enjoys
writing about topics engineers enjoy.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2018