In Daniel Coyle’s book the Culture Code he has a chapter called “The Good Apples.”
It’s about how an academic experiment was disrupted by some “good apples” – people who were committed to keeping the emotional tone of a meeting in a functional, productive, enjoyable place.
You see the goal of this experiment was to see what the different impacts of having a slacker, a jerk or a downer on a team. It was assumed that having a different flavor of “bad apple” might have different impact on the team, but it turned out that having any of these people on the team dropped the productivity by 30-40%.
Take away number 1: Don’t be a slacker. Don’t be a jerk. Don’t be a downer. You may be having a legitimately bad day, but your attitude will have a tangible (and measurable!) impact on those around you.
There was a problem in the study though – when there was a “good apple” on the team, the bad apple’s impact was eliminated. That’s fantastic. It meant that a single persons dogged determination to be positive, kind and initiative overcame the negativity and positively impacted the team as a whole and protected the team from a 30-40% drop on productivity.
So again: your mood is contagious. So if that is the case, you should consider what kind of environment you are you going to create. People spend a lot of time bemoaning the negative environments around them, wondering aloud why people are so difficult, all the while slowly acquiescing to the negativity they used to be shocked by.
Take away number 2: You should consider becoming a positive force for good.
The person who can change the mood of a room. A person who offers encouragement before hard meetings, and reassurance after them. Someone who has a sense of anticipation and optimism, and is committed to impacting people, not being overwhelmed by them.
It means trying to engage those around you, be curious about their thoughts, ask them questions that honestly invite them to contribute. Create a space where people feel safe to share. Convey warmth. Stay engaged with the people, and off the phone. Look people in the eyes. Laugh. Be polite.
It’s not easy, but it’s not exactly rocket science. It’s be cordial. Polite. Kind. Gracious. Humble. Again, not rocket science, but it’s certainly not common.
So ask yourself – what kind of apple have you been today, and what kind of apple will you be tomorrow?