In our personal lives, these circumstances might relate to good relationships, holidays and birthdays, trips, etc. But what about our business lives? What gives us energy in the workplace, especially when we need it?

Leadership might get energized by smooth operations. By that, we mean things like business relationships and teamwork. For example, if team members take accountability, act to make things happen, and double check operations to ensure projects go smoothly, that will surely bring in a lot of momentum which makes everyone feel surrounded by growth and partnership. Equally important is when clients show understanding and provide positive feedback, which truly creates a very enjoyable working environment and energizes everyone as a team.

Management might like getting their hands on new projects. Bidding on a request for proposal and working on something brand new could get them energized for making new connections and new success stories. For example, even management of long-term assignments can be exciting if challenges and successes feel new.

As for others, energy at work can come from appreciation. Not just appreciation for the work they perform, but also for the work others perform. Be they coworkers, clients, vendors, or anyone, giving and receiving thanks energizes employees to do a good job for all those involved.

What gives you energy in the workplace? Let us know in the comments of this post, and we wish you a good day!

Keeping open channels of communication is of utmost importance. To ensure smooth communication, we are sure to leave notes and give explanations. We also have our process documented and written down. When we don’t know how to handle something, we can look to see if there is a relevant guide already written. If there is not, we can write one so that the next person with a similar problem will have more resources at their fingertips. Emails, text messaging, voice messages, and phone calls are ways to communicate and we choose our method depending on the urgency of the task at hand.

There are things that a single person can’t or doesn’t know how to handle alone. This is why we make it a point to always ask for help when we need it. This way, more challenging problems are dealt with sooner rather than putting them off or sweeping them under the rug. For example, we had to figure out our new tax responsibilities. Taxes are usually complex to deal with, but with several people working with different sources, we were able to check our information against each other. This led to clarity. During the process, we found different opinions, but it was that confusion that helped us identify the problem areas and showed us where we needed to focus and research in order to find the right answer.

Teamwork is important when there is too much work for one person, but that is not the only time teamwork matters. Another key aspect of effective teamwork is understanding everyone’s different roles and their strengths as an individual. Recently, for one graphic design project, we asked one of our team members who hadn’t worked on the project at all to read our instructions. A fresh pair of eyes on the project was needed to make sure that the instructions were clear and understandable to someone who hadn’t seen it before.

We always try to keep a positive attitude. Having the right state of mind can help turn a hectic, stressful day into a learning opportunity and a chance to solve new problems. For example, when we work with certain communities such as blind and deaf/ hard of hearing people, there are extra considerations we must think about. We must make sure that our work is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act. We needed to do some research on it, and took this as an opportunity to learn more about our legal system and about how to help different communities that we want to serve.

Staying positive can keep us energized, productive, and satisfied at work. Having a positive attitude also makes it a pleasure to work with our coworkers and clients, and that helps us build teamwork and respect, which in turn makes tackling challenges easier and more interesting. Last but not least, having passion for the projects encourages us to face challenges energetically. At Monterey Language Services, we know that no problem is insurmountable thanks to our energy, teamwork, and passion for our jobs.