How to Have a Positive Impact

Tim Rath's bestseller How Full Is Your Bucket is based on decades of research and uses a simple metaphor about a dipper and a bucket to show how even the briefest interactions affect your relationships, productivity, health, and longevity.

Nearly every day Annette and I pray that we can be an encouragement to those with whom we cross paths. So when I read about how you can have a positive impact in the world around you, it got my attention. In addition to the book, there is an associated website that has online tools and tests that will help you analyze your postive impact (you do have to register, but it's free and quick). Click here to go to that page.

A few fast facts from the book:

• The #1 reason people leave their jobs: They don't feel appreciated
• 65% of Americans received no recognition in the workplace last year
• Bad bosses could increase the risk of stroke by 33%
• A study found that negative employees can scare off every customer they speak with -- for good
  
• 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they're around positive people
• Relentless negativity resulted in a 38% POW death rate -- the highest in U.S. military history
• We experience approximately 20,000 individual moments every day
• The magic ratio: 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction
• Can there be too much positive emotion? More than 13 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction could decrease productivity
• Extending longevity: Increasing positive emotions could lengthen life span by 10 years

Here are some questions to help you positively influence the people around you:

1. Have I helped someone in the last 24 hours?
2. Am I an exceptionally courteous person?
3. Do I like being around positive people?
4. Have I praised someone in the last 24 hours?
5. Have I developed a knack for making other people feel good?
6. Am I more productive when I am around positive people?
7. In the last 24 hours, have I told someone that I cared about her or him?
8. Do I make it a point to become acquainted with people wherever I go?
9. When I receive recognition, does it makes me want to give recognition to someone else?
10. In the last week, have I listened to someone talk through his or her goals and ambitions?
11. Do I make unhappy people laugh?
12. Do I make it a point to call each of my associates by the name she or he likes to be called?
13. Do I notice what my colleagues do at a level of excellence?
14. Do I always smile at the people I meet?
15. Do I feel good about giving praise whenever I see good behavior?