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Attitude
Speaks Louder than Skill
Back
in the Middle Ages, a dispatcher went out to determine how laborers
felt about their work. He went to a building site in France. He
approached the workers and asked: "What are you doing?"
The 1st worker snapped
back: "What, are you blind? I'm cutting these impossible
boulders with primitive tools and putting them together the way
the boss tells me... It's back-breaking work, and it's boring
me to death!"
The 2nd worker said: "I'm
shaping these boulders into usable forms, which are then assembled
according to the architect's plans. It's hard work...but I earn
five francs a week...It's a job. Could be worse."
The 3rd worker said as
he lifted his arm to the sky: "Why, can't you see? I'm building
a cathedral!" (Denis Waitley: "The Joy of Working")
Having a positive attitude
towards your job means being able to focus on and accentuate positive
events. It's the ability to recover when problems arise, or to
save something good out of negative events. On the other hand,
having a negative attitude means one dwells on problems instead
of solutions. People with negative attitudes often express their
doubts unnecessarily. A negative outlook encourages worry and
anxiety by lowering expectations and inviting failure.
The following case is one
of the typical cases illustrating how an individual's negative
thoughts breed negative attitudes which, in turn, adversely affect
his/her work ability and performance.
John was hired for his
expertise in information technology; and he was very skilled at
his job. In each of his first three years with the firm, John
had received a modest Christmas bonus. However, this year he didn't
get one. He felt he was passed over for the bonus because of a
mistake he had made. He began to wonder if his efficiency had
diminished. Soon, John dwelt on that thought every day and began
making mistakes he'd never made before. This multiplied his feelings
of inadequacy. Eventually his confidence and self-esteem suffered.
In this situation, John's normally confident attitude was dampened,
though without good cause, which turned into self-doubt, and then
affected his on-the-job performance.
In today's workplace, if
you enjoy your work and have a positive, pleasant demeanor, the
chances are good your boss will notice. On the contrary, if you
tend to focus on problems and weaknesses at your work, then soon
your negative attitude will affect your perception of yourself.
As you'll feel helpless and defeated, you may not work as hard
or you may try to overcompensate and make mistakes.
As it is so important having
a positive attitude towards your job, what are the pivotal factors
that can help you think and feel positively? Here are some of
the guiding principles and steps to lead you become a person with
positive outlook and attitude.
- Accentuate the positive:
To create a positive frame of mind, one must consciously search
for the positive side of the situation.
- Start each day by
focusing on the positives of your job - e.g. a pleasant
smile of a colleague, completion of a project, a thank-you
note from a customer, an encouraging remark from the boss
or a joyous luncheon with colleagues.
- Make several attitude
checks daily. You may want to check your attitude after
staff appraisal meeting or before an important presentation.
- Find a positive
mental trigger. You may want to recall a successful or a
pleasant event when you're about to give up so as to help
you gain confidence and keep your will to persist.
- Believe in yourself.
Use positive self- affirmation techniques to confirm that
you are a special person. You may want to reaffirm yourself
by looking at your confidence building list: e.g. I'm skilled
in computer work, I'm a cooperative team player, I'm good
at beating the deadline...
- Eliminate the negative:
While you deliberately focus your mind on something positive,
it is also important to downplay its discouraging side. Employ
techniques that isolate or detach these negatives so they cannot
impact too strongly on your attitude.
- Use deep breathing,
relaxation techniques to reduce tension and anxiety
- Concentrate on positive
thoughts
- Postpone thinking
about problem until the time is right to deal with it
- Take control and conquer
your fears: When you have control of a situation it gives you
confidence and alleviates the fear of the unexpected. When you
have confidence and think positively, you'll feel the power
of control without actually doing anything to control the situation.
- Be prepared and plan
ahead
- Learn to set priorities
for projects
- Expect the best, but
be prepared for the worst
- Have some fun now
and then!
A positive team member
not only produces at a high level but also makes it easier for
others on the team to stay positive and produce more. In today's
business world, with so many quality people to choose from, what
often differentiates one employee from one another is attitude.
Therefore, let's make use the power of positive thinking and take
control of our attitude today.
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