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đThe Key to Keeping Your Employees Happyđ
Hi there!
I missed you. I missed this. I'm back from vacation! (I spent a month visiting Asia for the first time, and I really miss hanging out with elephants.)
The image at the top of this newsletter shows a colossal reclining Buddha statue in Wat Lokayasutharam in Thailand. The statue wears a blissful smile. It's my desktop background at work now.
I had a pretty touristy experience in Thailand, and concierges and guides will quickly tell you Thailand is "The Land of Smiles". In my experience, that was true. Thais were quick to smile, and so was I, wanting to assimilate as best I could. I think I've brought the tendency back to our Seattle office.
According to Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade, I might be having an effect on my coworkers called emotional contagion:
âIf I smile, youâll smile, but itâs not just mimicry [...] We actually feel the emotion.â Whatâs more, people donât realize that theyâre experiencing the mood because itâs been passed along; instead, Barsade said, âThey own the emotion as their own.â
It's good to be back. And with a smile! đ