Thursday, March 12, 2009

A positive attitude reflects on work performance

Surviving a recession needs no superficial platitude. But being positive really helps. When times are uncertain the best you can do is build a positive attitude that brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking especially when you are in the workplace.

What is attitude?
Understanding the connotation of attitude is a complex task. Attitude is our acceptance and reactions of certain ways of life which stems from our individual mindset, which again develops from various factors which can be family and upbringing, environment experiences in human relations etc. Attitude could be rigid, flexible or moderate. The rigidity leads to becoming pessimistic or negative in approach.

Required at Workplace:

Flexibility in your attitude results in optimistic or positive approach. It is this positive approach that employers seek in their employees. They want to hire people who take the initiative and have the motivation to get the job done in a reasonable period of time. It is this passionate employee who creates an environment of good will and who provides a positive role model for others.

A positive something that is most valued by supervisors and co-workers; and it also makes the workplace more pleasant and fun to be in each day.

Better workplace skills:

Research has shown that employees with a brighter outlook tend to demonstrate better workplace skills, simply because:

1. Positivity and optimism develop strong ties with others – employees who are happy spread cheer.
2. Positive people are good communicators and thus the work gets done without much effort.
3. Optimists tend to develop better coping skills and a more supportive social network.
4. Positivity wards off stress.

Develop Positive attitude:

The process of developing positive attitude is gradual and a conscious effort. There are no easy answers to how you can build one, but the following suggestions do stand the test of time.

1. Know yourself – which means you need to be aware of your strengths and weakness.
2. Draw a balance between your outer and the inner self.
3. Appreciate your positive qualities and work on rectifying the negatives.
4. Contemplate upon the futility of negative thinking and worries.
5. Do not be critical of others. Instead be appreciative and respectful
6. Associate yourself with happy employees
7. Respect relationships at work and never take either your seniors or your juniors for granted.
8. Be self-reliant
9. Meditate if required.

Dealing with Negative Co-workers:

Always remember, negativity mongers need a new job, a new company a new career, a new outlook, or counseling. They don’t need you. You need to deal with genuinely negative people by spending as much time as possible. Here are some tips that will come to your rescue:

1. Avoid befriending a negative co-worker
2. Refrain from providing a sympathetic audience to the negative conversations
3. Suggest the negative person seek assistance from human resources or their supervisor
4. Persistent negativity, that impacts co-workers’ work is a work behavior that may require disciplinary action. Speak to your boss or HR manager about it.

There are people who are always complaining either about their boss, their work, their home or social life. At the same time, we also see people who are perpetually smiling and are happy. Does this mean that they are blessed in life with no problems or difficulties? Or is it just a positive attitude?

Satisfied employees are more productive, work more diligently and enhance the organization’s brand value. Satisfied employees demonstrate commitment to service with every customer/client. Pessimistic employees, on the other hand, work to the advantage of your competition while on your payroll. They are usually depressed and transmit these emotions not only to fellow colleagues but also to the clients/ customers.

Well, positive attitude is rated as one of the best traits. Being positive puts a person in command of his entire faculties.

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