Last week, we discussed the experience and benefits of awe in our roles as moms (check it how here). Today, we are going to explore how awe benefits us in our roles as leaders at work.
While it may be easier to identify awe through the eyes of a child, we have the ability to leverage awe to build and experience a better workplace. Why does awe matter at work? Awe can enhance teamwork, creativity, and even job satisfaction. As a leader, we can help create a culture of awe that benefits us and those we work with.
Experiencing awe in the workplace has been linked to increased commitment and loyalty to the organization (Stellar et al., 2017). After all, if you are experiencing awe, you want to learn more, and it also leads to overall connection and an increased sense of universal humanity among members of the group (Shiota et al., 2007). The ability of awe to prompt a shift in perspective leads to more collaboration and a less self-centered approach at work.
Not only can you increase the sense of connection among your colleagues, but you also can stimulate innovative thinking by allowing for experiences of awe. When you experience awe, you feel like you have more time available and tend to be less impatient – this helps at both home and work (Rudd et al. 2012). In our high-pressure work and home environments, we are able to make more thoughtful decisions, be more thorough in our actions, and experience higher well-being. In fact, when we regularly experience positive emotions like awe at work, we tend to be more resilient, are more satisfied with our job, and perform better. As you can imagine, this helps us to continue to experience more positive emotions!
This sounds great, but how do we actually bring awe into the workplace?
- Create awe-inspiring spaces: Designate areas in the workplace that feature elements of nature or art, creating an environment that can evoke feelings of awe. If you often have video conferences, consider having a background challenge in which each employee has a background representing a moment of awe. Check out our social media for quotes about awe that you can incorporate into the space (or even into your email).
- Share stories of achievement: Regularly share inspiring stories of both individual and team achievements within the organization to foster a sense of wonder and pride.
- Encourage exploration and learning: Promote opportunities for employees to explore new ideas, attend inspiring talks or workshops, and engage in activities outside of their routine tasks. Then have them share with the team what they found particularly awe-inspiring.
- Recognize and celebrate milestones: Acknowledge both personal and professional milestones of employees in a meaningful way, highlighting their extraordinary efforts and achievements. I often experience awe when I attend retirement celebrations and hear of the amazing work that my colleagues have accomplished. We do not have to wait until retirement to celebrate these moments in a meaningful way.
- Facilitate experiences of awe: Just like we can take our children on special outings, we can also organize team outings and experiences that are awe-inspiring. Visits to remarkable places, motivating movies, or unique cultural events can make a meaningful difference. You don’t even have to go anywhere…consider how you can bring awe into the workplace through small gifts or messages of awe. I saw this awe recently when my daughter and her work colleagues who work at a small business that sells axolotls recently each received a rare frog. The number of excited conversations and connectedness from these gifts illustrates the power of a thoughtful reflection on how to bring awe.
Remember, awe isn’t just about grand moments; it is about recognizing and appreciating the extraordinary in the everyday. Next time you are at work, take a moment to find your awe – it might just transform your day!
References and Further Reading
Carmeli, A., & Spreitzer, G. M. (2009). Trust, Connectivity, and Thriving: Implications for Innovative Behaviors at Work. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 43(3), 169–191.
Rudd, M., Vohs, K. D., & Aaker, J. (2012). Awe Expands People’s Perception of Time, Alters Decision Making, and Enhances Well-Being. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1130–1136.
Shiota M. N., Keltner D., Mossman A. (2007). The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on the self-concept. Cognition and Emotion, 21, 944–963.
Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., Cordaro, D., Anderson, C. L., Bai, Y., … & Keltner, D. (2017). Self-transcendent emotions and their social functions: Compassion, gratitude, and awe bind us to others through prosociality. Emotion Review, 9(3), 200-207.