The Hope QuotientSample

Friends once provided me and Carol an unbelievable experience at a five-star resort. God provided outstanding weather. An exceptional hotel staff provided the rest. Everywhere we turned, friendly, energetic people were willing to help. I asked a manager how they did it.

“It’s somewhat easy to find people who do a good job,” she said. “We look for people who do a good job and set a great culture and atmosphere.”

Every organization wants the same. Yet the workplace is the last place we find culture like this. So, if you don’t find hope at your work, how can you bring hope into your work?

Here are five ways to raise hope right where you are:

1. Arrive with energy. When I hire new employees, I look for energy. (After all, I can get people without energy for free!) People who arrive with energy are always in demand.

2. Live and lead with passion. Passion brings life, apathy deadens. When you arrive with passion, you can take advantage of opportunities disguised as hard work. I’d much rather have to ask someone to tone things down than to amp them up.

3. Stay positive under pressure. It’s been said, “People are like teabags—if you want to find out what’s inside them, drop them into hot water.” The secret to much of success in anything is learning how to perform well under pressure. Or, as I’m constantly saying to my kids, no matter what happens, keep your cool.

4. Be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. Several years ago, we laid off a talented, gifted, motivated person. The supervisor said, “Whenever that person does a job, it is done well, but there is so much relational broken glass, it simply isn’t worth it.”

Some people are like porcupines. They have a lot of fine points. They’re just hard to get close to. Relational tension is going to happen. Just don’t be the glass-breaker. Be the relationship-maker.

5. Add value. People who add value to your life are a great gift. Hope rises. Vision rises. Confidence rises. Imagine the impact on a company, church, team, or family if everybody arrived with one purpose—to add value to every other person in the room.

Think Up:

Bringing passion to your job changes the work landscape.

No matter what the atmosphere and culture of your current workplace may be, you can raise the hope level where you are now. (Read on).