Employee Engagement Begins With You!

16 Things You Should Do At The Start Of Every Day

Our employers can beat themselves up trying to please and inspire us. If our heads aren’t in the right place, no action plan is going to move the needle for a dissatisfied employee. You could say a person like that ought to go find a new job but there is a possibility that, with a little attitude adjustment, these grumpy employees could open themselves up to a better work experience by simply organizing themselves a bit better. In essence by being in a good place mentally, there is a much greater chance that we will have a much more positive attitude towards our work day and be that much more open to responding positively to efforts from our managers to make us feel good about being there.

A recent article from Forbes lists 16 things we can do to set ourselves up for good, great and better days. A morning routine sets you up for success and can have a huge impact on your productivity. You may be doing many of these things already but try to imagine how much better you would feel at the start of every day if you accomplished them all!

1. Arrive on time - Gives you time to get organized and, besides, being late looks bad.
2. Take a deep breath and meditate - Focus on the here and now and leave the ‘home stuff’ behind.
3. Eat a proper breakfast - It will give you the mental energy you need to tackle the whole day.
4. Start each day with a clean slate - Treat each day as a fresh start; get organized and hit the ground running
5. Don’t be moody - Your grumpy mood can infect your entire team, so be mindful of how you are feeling and do what it takes to get your smile on.
6. Organize your day - The first hour is the best hour to get organized. Don’t be distracted until you have made your plan and try to stick to it!
7. Be present - No matter how you feel, connect with a smile to the people around you …making eye contact, smiling, asking about their weekend, helps leaders, especially, set the tone for the day.
8. Check in with your colleagues - A quick huddle can help people focus and feel connected.
9. Organize your workspace - It’s hard to think clearly when you are sitting in a mess of paper. Clear what you can the night before so you start each day fresh.
10. Remind yourself of your core purpose at work - Connecting to purpose is one of the most powerful motivators there is.
11. Don’t be distracted by your inbox - Experts agree - don’t check email first. It leads to timewasters and distractions and ‘sucks you into the abyss’.
12. Listen to your voice mail - You never want to miss something important.
13. Place important calls and urgent emails - If you do this first thing you are more likely to get your answers by the end of the day.
14. Take advantage of your cleared mind - Many of us feel we function best in the morning, so schedule the big stuff for the morning when you are at your peak.
15. Mix things up - We all need variety, even if it’s sitting somewhere different - take a walkabout, go in person instead of calling or sending an email to a co-worker. Variety is energizing.
16. Plan a mid-morning break - Revitalize yourself so you can keep your momentum going.

Original article here:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fgdd45egmf/16-things-you-should-do-at-the-start-of-every-work-day/