Quotes from Shawn Murphy

We long to feel good about our work. In his brilliant way of writing, Studs Terkel explained over 40 years ago what people wanted from their work efforts: "It is about a search, too, for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying. . . . To be remembered was the wish, spoken and unspoken, of the heroes and heroines of this book."2

Workplace optimism is simply a place to start to make a difference for your people and for the business. It's a leadership opportunity that can turn work into a contribution to people's lives. Additionally, it can positively shape how people view and experience working on your team or in your company.

Ostracizing others denies them the ability to be part of the social fabric that is fundamental to our existence, to our survival. In the workplace, this can take on the form of ignoring the new person on the team, or habitually ignoring the contrarian's perspective. For employees to feel as if they are part of a group, stewards need to intentionally integrate people into the team and connect team members to others throughout the organization.

A leader with a growth mindset believes that:   Skills come from hard work and can always be improved.   Human potential is unlimited.   Effort is required to expand knowledge and accomplish goals.   Challenges are growth opportunities.   Feedback from the team and peers is necessary for your growth.   Setbacks should be anticipated and used to help make decisions in the future; one should be adaptable to change.15

The fervent conversations reveal intelligence, creativity, fun, connection, and even creative disagreements.