B.Y.O.V.

If you’ve ever taught a class or coached a team – better yet, if you’ve ever interacted with other human beings in a group – you’ve likely experienced a time where the collective energy felt low or less than in some capacity.

Perhaps you’ve attributed responsibility for this energy (or lack thereof) on others before you’d assume the same responsibility for yourself. Or maybe you’ve found yourself criticizing the character of those in your class/team/group to a much higher degree than admitting – or better yet, actualizing – the impact you could be contributing to solve for better energy.

Listen up, I’m here to tell you that if you’ve behaved in such a way, you’re not a monster and you’re actually quite normal. Per a phenomenon called fundamental attribution error, it’s a common tendency for people to overemphasize personality-based explanations for the behavior observed in others, and under-emphasize situational explanations. Put another way, we tend to see others as internally motivated and responsible for their behavior, rather than recognizing the social and/or environmental forces that could influence a person.

Specifically in the case of any “low energy” group where you’re at the lead – be it as a teacher/coach/presenter/etc. – I challenge you to take more responsibility for the group.

Assume greater responsibility for the energy and attitude of any room/space you walk into, and notice how “I always get stuck with the worst teammates” might quickly transition into “I always get surrounded by the best teammates.”

The takeaway here is simple –

Bring Your Own Vibes. (And make your own luck.)