A smile is contagious. It’s a fact. The #happydubai hashtag has spread and now even the @myhappydubai initiative launched in October 2014 by HH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Government of Dubai and The Dubai Municipality are asking the public to rate their services. The Dubai Municipality has even taken it one step further with happiness meters at their offices.
“The Happiness Meter will interactively measure the happiness of Dubai’s residents, visitors and tourists as well and gauge their satisfaction with the government services on a daily basis that takes into consideration the rapid changes and the people’s rapidly changing expectations,” said Ahmad Bin Humaidan, Director-General of DSG.
Although, it doesn’t only have to be from the government, we can all do our part in contributing to make people around us happy.
Regardless of whether you work from home or in an office, you are constantly interacting with people via e-mail, telephone, co-workers, while buying groceries, paying bills, etc. So let’s make these interactions count.
These seven things can make everyone around you smile and make a lasting effect on people you know and don’t know. How nice would it be to make someone’s day just through a simple conversation?!
1. Don’t “pass the buck” – take ownership of the issue at hand
When dealing with issues, be it with clients, co-workers, personal, or whatever it may be, don’t pass the buck, take ownership of the problem and try to find the best possible solution. Do it with love and the desire to want to solve the problem.
2. Communicate clearly and effectively
Communication has been one of the greatest problems in our world today. What you say has an impact. It effects people. It has consequences. Regardless of your job title, explaining the problem or solution in a calm manner is one of the most important tools to communicate transparently.
3. Be positive; negativity attracts negativity and vice versa
Your choice of words on a daily basis are essential to keeping the lines of communication open. We are all different, which means we interpret things differently. Using positive language has lasting effects. Instead of “I can’t”, how about saying “I will see what I can do.”
4. Patience, patience and more patience!
We all have bad days, life wouldn’t be life without them; nor would we appreciate the good days if we didn’t experience the bad ones. But – and the but is the key word here – you must have patience. Two angry people do not solve a problem. Two angry people only make each other angrier. Go to your calm place. Right or wrong, valid or not, you will not get anywhere without emanating patience.
5. Listen. Use your listening skills more than your talking skills
Hearing and listening are two very different things. If you are listening, you are processing the words that the other person is saying. Listen before you speak, before your defenses come up and your ego or pride takes charge. If we all didn’t listen to one another, imagine how the world would be. Just look at where we are today…
6. Be flexible and adapt to each situation
Not everything is black and white. You will not always have a simple solution. Each issue you deal with will carry different results and outcomes, for no two individuals are the same. Be willing to understand where the other person is coming from. Isn’t one of the best sayings of our time, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Follow that and remember it through the worst of situations.
7. Be compassionate towards humans
Without compassion we would live in a cold cold world. It seems cold enough already with all the wars raging. We are all human, we all make mistakes. Some of these mistakes carry greater consequences than others. Don’t expect perfection.
Accept that you can make a difference today, that you have the capacity to turn a bad situation into a good one. When you reason with love, it is reciprocated. When you speak with hate, that too is reciprocated.
Happiness = A smile. The simplest of acts. One that has the ability to lift someone’s mood immediately. Give a smile, get a smile! A priceless gift that costs nothing, only a little bit of effort. That can’t be too hard, can it?
Let’s all do our part in helping Dubai be the happiest place to live!
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