Joybaiting in 10 Minutes by Friday

Everyone creates joy. Some when they enter a room, and some when they leave.

Allow me to explain.

https://vimeo.com/1172648407

Last week a gentleman who had been sitting near my family and me at a local restaurant stopped by our table on his way out. He said that he and his wife had overheard parts of our conversation and that we seemed like really nice people. Then he smiled and walked away.

It was simple. It took maybe ten seconds. But it completely shifted the feeling at our table.

My daughter Katie’s reaction was what sparked the idea for this article. She looked at me and said “that’s joybaiting at its best.”

I said, what the heck is joybaiting?

She explained that most of what we see today is ragebaiting. People say things specifically to provoke a reaction, usually anger, because that’s what gets attention, clicks, and eyeballs that ultimately make people money.

How sad, I thought. Purposefully creating negativity to capture attention. This frustrated me. I thought, just about everyone I know would much rather have the opposite – a spark of positivity that leaves them feeling happier instead of irritated.

If I am being honest, I can think of times when I have done my share of ragebaiting too. A sarcastic comment. A sharp observation. Something said for effect rather than impact. It is easy to do, especially when it feels like that is the tone of the world around us.

But that gentleman did something different. He noticed something positive and he acted on it.

Nearly ten years ago I introduced a simple workplace idea called 10 Minutes by Friday™. The concept was straightforward. Spend ten intentional minutes each week recognizing people and sharing successes in the workplace. Send a thoughtful note. Acknowledge effort. Share appreciation. It does not require a budget or a system. It requires intention and kindness.

What struck me is that the gentleman at the restaurant did exactly that. He invested a few seconds to recognize something good, and he positively affected our evening and created a memorable moment.

We are all going to influence the people around us. Our presence, our words, and our reactions shape the experience others have when they are with us.

The question is not whether you will create emotion. The question is what kind.

Ten Minutes by Friday is not just a workplace tactic. It is simply a decision about who you want to be and how you show up for the people around you.

The gentleman at the restaurant probably invested less than ten seconds noticing something positive and sharing it with us, but it had an instant, positive impact on our lives. It made me think about how easy it would be for any of us to do the same thing more intentionally.

You might try a simple experiment this week. Spend ten minutes by Friday looking for opportunities to joybait someone. Offer a sincere compliment. Say thank you. Notice something good about another person and say it out loud.

Small moments like that have a way of traveling farther than we expect.

You are going to create joy either way.

Some when they enter and some when they leave.

Decide which person you want to be.