"How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life", Tom Rath and Donald Clifton, Gallup Press, 2004, ISBN: 978-1-59562-003-3. Keeping on the theme of "people skills", I thought I would take the next series from a little book I read recently entitled "How Full Is Your Bucket?". It is published by Gallup Press, and written by two Gallup employees: Tom Rath and Donald Clifton (who was a chairman of the organisation, and who died just before the book was published). Rath is also Clifton's grandson. The book is subtitled "Positive Strategies for Work and Life", and deals with the way we interact with other people. It is based on 50 years of Gallup research, and was inspired by Clifton's observation that psychology traditionally has focused on what is _wrong_ with people. Clifton made it his life's work to focus on the positive aspect of human behaviour. In 2002 Clifton was recognised as the "Grandfather of Positive Psychology" by the American Psychological Association. The theme of this book is based on a theory that Clifton developed in the 1960's, which is based on a metaphor of a "bucket" and a "dipper". Chapter 1: Negativity Kills Clifton embarked on his research into the positive aspects of human interactions, as a result of a single case study, which illustrated the incredibly destructive power of negative interactions. The study was of American prisoners of war in North Korea during the Korean War. The North Korean camps were not particularly harsh. There was "adequate food, water, and shelter", and much less physical abuse or torture than in other PoW camps in other wars. Despite these apparently fairly benign conditions, the death rate was higher than in any other American war (38%), no escape attempts were made, and prisoners who were released to the Red Cross in Japan, showed no interest in contacting relatives. The reason for all this was that the North Koreans had perfected their psychological warfare techniques. "It was not uncommon for a soldier to wander into his hut and look despairingly about, deciding there was no use in trying to participate in his own survival" He would go into a corner alone, sit down, and pull a blanket over his head. And he would be dead within two days". The army psychologist, Major William E. Mayer, who performed the case study characterised the prisoners as as being in a mental "solitary confinement cell" even when they returned to America. Mayer found that the Koreans had used four tactics to break down the relationships between the soldiers and thus remove any form of emotional support that they might otherwise have experienced. These four tactics were: 1) Informing Prisoners were rewarded for informing one each other - but the "offending prisoner" was not punished! The purpose was simply to break down the soldiers' relationships. 2) Self-criticism The prisoners were forced into "negative group therapy" sessions where they had to confess all their failings to one another. Again, the important factor here was the erosion of the esteem and relationships between the prisoners. 3) Breaking loyalty to leadership and country They "slowly and relentlessly [undermined] a soldier's allegiance to his superiors". Prisoners would even ignore commands from officers when the consequences would be fatal. 4) Withholding all positive emotional support This was probably the most devastating tactic at all. The Koreans would withhold positive letters and news from home, while immediately delivering all negative ones - even unpaid bills were delivered to the prisoners! Deeply impacted by this study of the devastating effects of negative reinforcement, Clifton, and others with him, determined to study whether positive reinforcement could have as dramatic an effect, but for good. Out of this was born the Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket: "Everyone has an invisible bucket. We are at our best when our buckets are overflowing - and at our worst when they are empty. Everyone also has an invisible dipper. In each interaction, we can use our dipper either to fill or to dip from others' buckets. Whenever we choose to fill others' buckets, we in turn fill our own."
[A more detailed version of the theory is at: http://www.bucketbook.com/content/default.aspx?ci=12229] Some things to think about: Can you think of anyone who regularly "dips from others' buckets"? What is the effect that this has on the people he/she interacts with? Can you think of an interaction where you have filled someone else's bucket? What was the effect on them, and on you? Clifton's theory may seem simplistic. With your answers to the first two questions in mind, would you agree or disagree with him? Chapter 2: Positivity, Negativity, and Productivity "Most of us will never endure the kind of psychological torture that the American POW's suffered during the Korean War. Yet we all experience positive and negative interactions every day that influence how we feel and behave. Just because these interactions are commonplace and often undramatic doesn't mean they do not matter. They do. While most of our negative experiences will not kill us, they can slowly but surely erode our well-being and productivity. Fortunately, positive experiences or 'bucket filling' can be even more powerful." In this chapter Rath and Clifton focus on the impact of the bucket theory in the workplace. Their discussion is based on surveys of over four million employees, across all business sectors. They have found that regular positive interactions, specifically "recognition and praise", result in increased productivity, better relationships with co-workers and customers, greater loyalty to the organisation and better health and safety records. They point out that a single individual can transform their workplace by regular "bucket filling", and that leaders who provide and encourage positive interactions have workgroups with better spirit, motivation, performance and enjoyment of their work. They give an example of a CEO of a global who makes a point of bucket filling at each local office that he visits, and how the positive results spread throughout the company. Killing Productivity On the other hand, a lack of praise in the workplace can have hugely negative effects. Rath and Clifton cite several studies showing high staff turnover, poor health (specifically, high blood pressure in one study of people with bosses they did disliked - I hope I'm not causing any hypertension!), low productivity (they estimate, they think conservatively, that the cost of negativity in the workplace to the US economy is of the order of $250 to $300 billion). They quote a story told to them of one woman's experience of giving an important presentation, when a few thoughtless comments (one from her boss) completely undermined her composure and ruined the entire presentation. The impact of experiences like this can be a negative, downward spiral. One's own interactions with colleagues is more likely to be negative in such situations, and the malaise can spread rapidly throughout a workgroup or an entire organisation. Scaring Off Customers In a recent study Rath and Clifton assessed the impact of 4583 customer service representatives in a large call-centre. They found three representatives who alienated EVERY customer that they dealt with (and the customers moved their business elsewhere). Conversely, they found seven representatives who "retained and engaged very single customer they dealt with". You may wish to consider your own experience of calls to large organisations and how well you were treated by the representative, and what your reaction was. Of course, the problems are compounded when irritated, departing customers make sure that everyone they know is told how badly company XYZ treated them. The Recognition Gap One study revealed that 65% of American workers experienced no recognition or praise in a year. ("And we have yet to find anyone who reports suffering from over-recognition"!). In a later chapter they provide some suggestions for meaningful ways of recognising the contributions of employees.
A closing quote: "Sincere and meaningful bucket filling increases the morale of any organization. Managers and employees who actively spread positive emotions, even in small doses, will see the difference immediately." Some things to think about: Can you think of a really positive or negative encounter with a shop-worker or call centre rep? What was your reaction? What is the greatest recognition you have received at work? What impact did this have on your attitude and productivity? Chapter 3: Every Moment Matters "Usually, we don't stop to consider the impact of brief interactions. But we experience literally hundreds of potential turning points in a given day..." Clifton and Rath illustrate this point with a story about a harassed single mother. How a breakfast interaction with a child who had spilled food might impact on the child's day. How a kind deed might result in a stranger returning the favour, and leaving both parties feeling upbeat. How a performance appraisal at work by a critical boss, which ignored recent achievements and hard work might leave her feeling unappreciated and her bucket drained. And how a chance hallway encounter with someone who had taken the trouble to remember her preferred nickname and to congratulate on her on her hard work on a task the previous week left her feeling uplifted. Often these small, seemingly inconsequential interactions can have a significant impact on our lives (A "Tomorrow's Professor" newsletter a few months ago highlighted this with the story of how a passing word from a professor had turned a student's life around - later the professor could not even remember the student, let alone recall the small encouragement that he had offered!). Having highlighted how important positive interactions are, Clifton and Rath turn to consider how society is very often focussed on the negative. From their school days children are often sent a message that the poor marks on their report are a problem, rather than a focus on the good marks. A Gallup study of parents' attitudes asked them to comment on which of the following marks deserved the most attention: English: A Social Studies: A Biology: C Algebra: F Depending on the country the percentage of parents focussing on the F, ranged from 42% (Japan - the only country below 50%) to 87% (France). Only in the U.K. (22%) and Japan (18%) did a significant number focus on the A's. The authors make the point that one shouldn't ignore the F, but that focussing on the positive aspects first is likely to make for a more productive interaction with the child. They go on to note how this kind of attitude usually follows individuals from school to work: performance appraisals that focus on "correcting weaknesses", etc. (In this vein, a couple of our colleagues have commented to me that a more positive-focussed approach to the review exercise on Wednesday would have been helpful). To back this up, Clifton and Rath cite a study from 1925, in which a group of fourth- and sixth-grade school children were divided into four groups. One group was kept separate as a control and received neither praise nor criticism during the study. The other groups were placed in a single classroom: the first received personal, public praise for their performance in a set of daily tests, the second received personal criticism for their performance in the tests, and the third group received no feedback (but witnessed the public treatment of the other two groups). Both the criticised and the praised groups did fairly well on day two of the experiment, and better than either of the ignored groups. However, by the third day, the performance of the criticised group plummeted and was soon at the same level as the ignored group in the same classroom (the control group's performance sputtered along at a fairly low level throughout). By the end of the week the praised group was well ahead of all the others. Despite the significance of this study's findings, it attracted little attention until recently with the advent of "positive psychology". Research indicates that we experience approximately 20000 "individual moments", lasting a few seconds, every day. These can be neutral, positive or negative, but, typically, only the positive and negative moments are remembered. Clifton and Rath quote a TV interview of a man who had had a difficult childhood, been abused and bullied and struggled academically. When the interviewer asked how he had turned out a normal, well-adjusted adult he replied instantly that this was due to a teacher who "simply told him that she cared about him and believed in him. This one small interaction turned [his] life around". A good friend of mine tells a similar story: he grew up in a rough area, involved in street gangs, drugs, petty crime, etc.; his headmaster once called him up at assembly in front of the entire
school and told him he would never amount to anything in life. Despite all this he is now a very successful person in a leadership position, with a solid family. Again, he clearly remembers one teacher at school who believed in him and encouraged him despite his (very obvious) failings at the time. Clifton and Rath turn next to the area of marriage and cite studies showing that there is a "magic ratio" of five positive interactions to one negative interaction. At 5:1 or higher, marriages are significantly more likely to succeed. "When the ratio approaches 1:1, marriages 'cascade to divorce'". In one study of 700 newly-weds, 15-minute conversations between husband and wife were videotaped and analysed. Ten years later the couples were followed up. The researchers found that their predictions of divorce (using the 5 to 1 ratio) were 94% accurate! In the workplace, studies indicate that workgroups with a ratio of 3:1 are significantly more productive than groups with a lower ratio. However, there does also seem to be an upper limit: above 13:1 the benefits fall away. This brings an important balance: ignoring negatives and weaknesses is counter-productive. "Positivity must be grounded in reality". Mistakes must be corrected, and areas of weakness addressed and managed. "But most of us don't have to worry about breaking the upper limit. The positive-to-negative ratios in most organizations are woefully inadequate and leave substantial room for improvement". Clifton and Rath then detail a number of other benefits of a positive environment. These range from increased lifespan (ten years in one study), to improved health, faster recover from pain and illness, improved coping mechanisms, etc. Some things to think about: Can you remember any "moment" in your early life which had a profound effect on you? Was it positive or negative? What might we do differently in our interactions with our children or our students in the light of this chapter? Chapter 4: Tom's Story: An Overflowing Bucket This chapter opens with a brief discussion of the debate as to whether a positive disposition is genetic or a result of upbringing (essentially the old nature versus nurture debate). They cite current research indicating that the current thinking on this is that it is a balance (possibly roughly equal) of both factors. One psychologist has suggested that we have a natural "baseline" for happiness (much like people have a natural weight disposition). Just as careless eating or careful dieting can compensate for a given weight "baseline", so negative or positive interactions can bring us up or take us down from our emotional baseline. "Regardless of an individual's innate starting point, regular bucket filling can increase his or her positive emotions". To illustrate this, Tom Rath shares his personal story. He wrote this account during the initial stages of writing the book, when his grandfather had been diagnosed with cancer. This was prompted by a recollection that his grandfather had once commented on how people often wait for a funeral to express their positive feelings for someone (which is a little too late!). Clifton had asked why this shouldn't be done while someone is alive. As the following is Tom Rath's intensely personal story, I will quote most of it in his words, rather than paraphrasing as usual. "Searching for Early Traces of Talent From the day I was born, each member of my family was determined to help me focus on what I did best. They provided constant support and encouragement. ... The minute my family noticed my passion in a certain area, they encouraged me to learn as much as possible on that topic. They were never shy with their praise and always quick to compliment even the smallest accomplishments. Then, when I was about eight or nine, the bucket fillers who surrounded me noticed my entrepreneurial spirit, and they could tell that I enjoyed leading my peers. So, when I was 10, my grandfather (Don) suggested starting my own business. I loved the idea and decided to open a snack stand. As always, the rest of my family was thrilled to help me pursue a new passion, and they rallied around this project. [The snack stand boomed, employing more than 20 of Rath's school friends, expanding into clothing and other small goods, and making several thousand dollars profit for the youngsters.]
My bucket was overflowing, and this allowed me to concentrate on filling the buckets of everyone around me. At the end of each month, I would give out awards and commission checks based on how much each person had sold... This focus on positive encouragement continued throughout my education. My parents asked about my favorite classes and extracurricular activities on a daily basis. And instead of dipping from my bucket when I wasn't doing well in music or art courses, they encouraged me to focus more time on the areas that gave me personal satisfaction... ...they understood that pushing me to be abetter musician was fruitless; I might get to average at best. A popular saying in my home was this age-old maxim: 'Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig'. As a young student, I found this quite liberating. I didn't have to try to be good at everything. Instead, I was able to strive for goodness in my areas of natural talent. [Rath then contrasts this approach with that which he observed in some of his friends' families, where a far more critical atmosphere prevailed.] My life continued to unfold in this positive way - until I was 16. At that point, I started experiencing poor vision in my left eye and confronted my first big life obstacle. Doctors discovered multiple tumors in my eye and performed several major surgeries. A year later, all sight in my left eye had been lost - permanently. On top of that, the condition indicated a possible 'genetic abnormality' that causes sporadic tumors to grow throughout the body. The results of a DNA test confirmed that I had this extremely rare disorder: von Hippel-Lindau disease. As a result, tumors were likely to show up in my pancreas, kidneys, eardrums, adrenal glands, brain, and spine with no advance warning. Upon hearing this news for the first time, I was shocked and nervous. But, on some level, I was surprised by how little the news dampened my spirits. From that day forward, instead of dwelling on the negative or uncontrollable aspects of this disease, my family helped me focus on what _could_ be done. Although there was a strong degree of apprehension in my mind, I never got depressed. At a crucial moment, that kind of genuine caring and positivity had a remarkable influence. Within the first week of finding out about my condition, I immersed myself in learning how to manage and live with this disorder. When friends would ask me about losing vision in my left eye, I would be quick to point out that the vision in my right eye was 20/10, much better than average. Looking back, the key was not viewing my prognosis as any type of curse or death sentence. Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to be proactive and stay on top of my physical health. [This entails regular checkups, MRI and CAT scans.] My approach was to confront these challenges head-on. I'm not sure I was totally conscious of my attitude at the time, but I didn't let these problems overwhelm me. A decade later, my close friends would admit how frightened and concerned they were for me during that time. but they also recall being mystified by my positive attitude. Although they knew that I stayed on top of things, they could not believe my lack of worries about this condition. In retrospect, it was as if I had acquired some strange type of mental immunity that no one could understand. But there was nothing strange or incomprehensible about it: the daily drops in my bucket from friends and family had _built a reserve in my bucket that was sustainable during tough times_. ... In my senior year of college, an exam revealed a tumor in one of my adrenal glands. Five years later, doctors found cancerous tumors in my kidney. While working on this book, scans revealed several new tumors on my pancreas, adrenal glands, and spinal cord. In each case, there was some fear and initial frustration. But my most memorable reaction was a sense of relief knowing that these tumors were caught before they could metastasize and spread to other organs. My vigilance and awareness of the disease had paid off... All of my energy was focused on what _could_ be done. My energy was not focused on what had already occurred or aspects beyond my control. To this day, I have never stopped in my tracks and asked, 'Why did all of this happen to me?' I mean it. I may have been frustrated, but I never railed against fate - and there's a big difference between the two. Personally, I saw no good reason to sit around and dwell on the negative or feel sorry for myself in these situations. It would get me nowhere. Besides, such wallowing would have worsened my emotional and physical health.
Although the threat of facing various forms of cancer is with me every day, I see no alternative other than to focus on what can be done next to stay ahead of this disease. And I can honestly say that it's easy to maintain this attitude on a daily basis. Why? That's simple: After almost three decades of life, I cannot recall a single day when my bucket wasn't filled over and over again by family members and friends." Rath admits that his is an extreme case, and that it might seem to good to be true to readers who do not know him personally. However, it is true, and he describes the regular bucket-filling as literally a "lifesaver" in his case. The message of his story has much in common with that of the first of Stephen Covey's "seven habits" (which I believe have now grown to eight!): Be Proactive. Covey quotes Victor Frankl's experience in the Nazi death camps, where Frankl discovered that he could rise above his circumstances and choose how he would respond to his situation. A closing quote from Tom Rath: "...we don't have to allow ourselves to be defined by our hardships. Our responses to difficult events and our emotional state are much more important. Positive reinforcement about our strengths can buffer us against getting overwhelmed with the negative. And understanding what we do best allows us not only to survive, but grow, in the face of adversity". Some things to think about: How do you think you would have reacted to news of a potentially life-threatening disease at age sixteen? What effect might the positive or negative inputs from the people around you have had? As a child, were you encouraged to focus on your strengths or pushed to work on your weaknesses? What effect did this have on you? Chapter 5: Making It Personal Rath and Clifton open this (short) chapter by referring back to the example scenario they painted in Chapter 2 of a customer service representative who goes the extra distance for you, the caller. They extend this thought experiment to consider what might happen if you called back later to thank his supervisor for the excellent service you had received. Possibly the supervisor might send an email message to the rep's workgroup, repeating the compliments that you had mentioned and congratulating him on making a difference in a customer's life. What an energising and uplifting effect that is likely to have for the rep. From this scenario, Clifton and Rath draw some specific keys for meaningful bucket-filling: it is individualised, specific and deserved. They underscore this by pointing out that, for some individuals, an email to the workgroup might not be a suitable form of praise - a quiet word from the supervisor during a break, or perhaps an exuberant mention in a staff meeting might be better, depending on the rep's nature. "The point is, there are unique and specific ways to fill each person's bucket". They then highlight this with a true story from a company that Gallup consulted for in the 1980's, featuring Susan, a recently-promoted manager, and Matt, the company's top-performing customer service representative. Susan, correctly, realised that she needed to motivate and inspire the customer service representatives under her leadership. When she had held such a post herself, she had been motivated by public performance awards, and so she instituted a major awards ceremony. She booked a venue in a top-class hotel together with top entertainment, and invited all her staff and their families. The highlight of the evening was to be the presentation of the award for the best representative to Matt at the end of the event. His award was prominently placed on the stage, covered in a cloth awaiting the grand announcement. When the moment came, Susan elaborated on the achievements of the best rep, before uncovering the award and calling Matt up to receive it. To her complete dismay, he was clearly totally unimpressed. He walked up to the microphone and refused to accept the award, stating that it was a meaningless plaque and he had several already! Needless to say, Susan was devastated! She had managed to alienate her best representative and set back the morale of the entire workgroup. So, she went back to the drawing board and started to investigate what made Matt "tick". She discovered that he was a dedicated family-man and totally devoted to his two daughters.
The following year, she arranged with Matt's wife for a professional portrait photograph to taken of the daughters, secretly. When the awards event came around again, she described the achievements of the best rep, but added comments about his dedication to his family, before unveiling the photo of the daughters. Matt was completely overwhelmed and delighted, rushing onto the stage and hugging Susan with tears in his eyes. "The lesson here is clear: If you want people to understand that you value their contributions and that they are important, the recognition and praise you provide must have meaning that is specific to each individual. Not only is individualized bucket filling more effective in boosting productivity in the workplace, it builds sustainable relationships and changes people's lives forever". Some things to think about: Can you think of a situation where recognition was given that was either completely appropriate or totally inappropriate for the individual concerned? What would be the most meaningful form of recognition for you as an individual? Chapter 6: Five Strategies for Increasing Positive Emotions In this final chapter, Clifton and Rath focus on the practical application of their ideas, providing five strategies to help you build more positive relationships with the people around you. 1) Prevent Bucket Dipping Clifton and Rath tell an anecdote about a man who, having heard their theories, determined to stop from dipping from people's buckets. He worked on developing the habit of asking himself whether he was filling or dipping from people's buckets in each interaction he had. Apparently, he found this habit quite hard to form at first, but he persevered and found it made a difference in his life and the lives of the people around him. In particular, he tried to stop himself from making negative comments to people (and, where appropriate, to make a positive comment instead). In addition to establishing this habit in your own life, Clifton and Rath suggest trying to influence the people around you by intervening when discussions take a negative turn, and harsh criticism is offered. They admit that some people are "persistently negative" and one will never change them. In this case, they suggest trying to avoid the person as much as possible to prevent their negativity from affecting you. As a practical tool, they suggest that you keep a "score card": a list of interactions, and next to them a "+" or "-". As mentioned in Chapter 3, a ratio of five positive interactions to one negative is a good ideal to aim for. 2) Shine a Light on What Is Right Again, they start this with an anecdote. In this case the story is of a married woman, unhappy with her husband. She had tried nagging him to improve in the areas that she did not like, with no success. Eventually, and rather doubtfully, she decided rather to praise him for his positive deeds and attributes. Fairly quickly, he started to respond positively to this treatment, coming home more relaxed and starting to fill his wife's bucket. However, her greatest surprise came from the observation that she felt better herself when she focused on his positive characteristics, before he started to respond. An additional benefit was that the positive atmosphere in their home caused them both to have more positive interactions with other people too, spreading the benefits of bucket filling beyond their family life. In this regard, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson speaks of "chains of interpersonal events". An important part of building such a chain is to learn to accept praise from others graciously. This will cause their bucket to be filled as they realise that their kindness has made a positive impact on your life. To assess your performance in this area, there is a 15 question Positive Impact Test available on the book's associated website (www.bucketbook.com). The test is designed to be taken regularly so that one can monitor progress. In addition, the questions can be used as a guide for improvement.
3) Make Best Friends Often people will hang in with a job that they don't think is ideal, or continue to participate in some activity that they don't enjoy or are not particularly good at. Often the reason for this is that they have a best friend in the workplace or in the team/group. Clifton and Rath are very deliberate about the term "best friend", as their studies have indicated that just having friends, even "good friends", is not enough. "People with best friends at work have better safety records, receive higher customer satisfaction scores, and increase workplace productivity". However, they do note that the exclusivity implied by the term "best friend" is not a requirement. On the contrary, they suggest that the ideal is to have several friendships of that calibre at work, and in your family and social groups. One of the critical moments for forming such friendships is when you first meet someone. Making an effort to be positive in your first interaction with a person may pay considerable dividends. Strong friendships require deliberate action on your part. Tell people how much they mean to you, and why. "Listen to your friends with unconditional, positive regard. Support them in their endeavors. Encourage them... [Be] the person they know they can always go to for a kind word". 4) Give Unexpectedly Unexpected gifts are a wonderful surprise and do a lot to fill someone's bucket (more so than expected gifts). A gift does not have to be expensive or extravagant to be appreciated. One of the most meaningful gifts I have ever received was given to me by some friends just prior to my going to the UK for sabbatical leave in 1994-1995. It was a very simple, pocket photograph album in which they had collected photographs of friends, family, pets, special occasions, etc. Over ten years later, that album still stays beside my bed, and leafing through it is guaranteed to bring a lump into my throat. A gift could also be something intangible: sharing a secret or something deeply personal carries an implicit gift of trust. Sometimes a smile or a hug or a word of encouragement can be a great gift. Sharing an encouraging story, or a helpful article is another way of giving something meaningful without great cost. 5) Reverse the Golden Rule The Golden Rule states "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Clifton and Rath would change this to "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them". This springs from the discussion in Chapter 5 about personalisation. Each of us is unique and responds differently to various types of recognition and praise. For one person, public recognition may be important, while for another a private note might be far more meaningful. Importantly, our interactions with people help shape their self-images and will have an impact on the course of their lives. Practically, Clifton and Rath suggest taking the time to find out "what makes people tick" quite deliberately. Ask people what they like, what makes them happy, what kind of praise is most meaningful to them, etc. Praise and recognition should also be specific, and will have the most impact if it is written (this allows the recipient to reflect on it and to come back to it in future). Clifton and Rath suggest giving "drops for your bucket": little notes that recognise what someone has done, or what they mean to you (they even provide some little drop-shaped notelets at the back of their book for this purpose!). They challenge you to make it a goal to write at least five drops or alternative form of notes in a month. Epilogue "Imagine what your world will be like one year after you have engaged in daily bucket filling. We suspect the following changes will have occurred: - Your workplace will be a lot more productive and fun. - You'll have more friends. - Your colleagues and customers will be more satisfied and engaged.
- Your marriage will be stronger. - You'll enjoy closer relationships with your family and friends. - You'll be healthier, happier, and well on your way to a longer life. There is plenty of scientific and anecdotal evidence to demonstrate the importance of bucket filling in our lives. Take every opportunity to increase the positive emotions of those around you. It will make a big difference. It may even change the world. Don't waste another moment. A bucket, somewhere, is waiting for you to fill it." Some things to think about: Think about your recent interactions with people (at home, at work, etc.). Which were positive and which negative? What is the overall balance? Do you have a "best friend" in your workplace? What difference do you think this makes? What will you do in the next week to make a positive impact in someone else's life?
