Happy 2008!

January is typically the month where we look a little closer (for a few weeks, anyway) at what worked well in the last year and what we may need to improve upon. We make those dreaded personal resolutions and then what? Have you ever wondered why so many of the "resolutions" you make only last a short time?

What about your workplace? Why are there so many well-intended workplace changes that don't really take hold? Have you or your employees ever thought, "Here's another 'flavor-of-the-month' program; this too shall pass"?

Whether at home or in the workplace, positive change (and results) start with our attitude - a positive attitude! When was the last time you checked your "attitude barometer?" Here's your chance to turn-up the dimmer switch and learn what can you do to safeguard your attitude.

Be good to yourself, enjoy the ride and make a Positive Impact on your career and workplace with a positive attitude!

Click here for an "Attiude Barometer" self-assessment

New Year – New You?

A positive attitude is a priceless possession for personal fulfillment and career success. It is also an essential and primary element for creating a positive workplace.

When I think about the basic elements of human relationships, I think primarily about the attitude we each bring to relationships, whether they are personal or professional in nature. What is the first thing you remember about someone you meet? Chances are it’s their attitude!

Noted authors, Elwood Chapman and Wil McKnight say, “The attitude you bring with you everyday will significantly affect what you can see, what you can do, and how you feel about it.”

Check Your “Attitude Barometer”

We all know what a positive attitude sounds like, but how can we define it? Simply stated, Chapman and McKnight describe it as the way you look at things mentally, your mental focus on the world. It’s never static; it’s always in flux – the result of an on-going process that’s dynamic and sensitive to what’s going on. Events, circumstances, and messages – both positive and negative – can affect your attitude. A positive attitude can be infectious!

Let’s face it… no one can be positive all of the time! (Not even me) Nowhere is your positive attitude more appreciated by others than when you are at work. What we do know is that a positive attitude makes problem solving easier and the more you expect from a situation, the more success you will achieve (The High Expectancy Success Theory). The road to results is through our employees, so it’s critical that everyone’s attitude (including our own) is as positive as possible each day.

The Business Case for a Positive Attitude

How does a positive attitude about diversity impact the world of business? A major change had taken place in recent years in the workforce: the cultural mix of employees has become more diversified. The performance standards are the same, but the workforce mix is different. Business is complex and competitive – with comparable resources, including people. People with a positive attitude are looking up and forward and are more likely to work to higher standards of quality, safety, and productivity – individually and as a team. Working near a person with a positive attitude is an energizing experience; he/she can change the tone and morale of the department and make others feel more upbeat. Sometimes the reason people lack a positive attitude is simply that they don’t realize that they have a negative one!

A positive workplace is about the people and their positive outlook about their work and the organization that make the business thrive. The war for talent exists. Do we want to hire and retain people with positive or negative attitudes? The answer is obvious… Hire for attitude; the mechanics of the job can be taught. A company gets its edge from the attitude of its people – its leaders, its supervisors, front-line, back-office, entry-level and long-term employees. Employees want to feel valued and appreciated and will most likely be more engaged and stay with an organization, as a result. The higher the engagement levels, the more their attitude barometer rises. Ultimately, the higher the attitude barometer rises, the more business results improve.

Building and maintaining healthy, effective relationships in all directions – with people your work for, people you work with, and people who work for you – is a key to success. Unlike golf or tennis, business is a team sport. Nothing contributes more to the process of building effective work relationships than a positive attitude. More business successes are won on attitude than technical achievement. A supervisor who demonstrates and knows how to build a positive attitude in their staff can lead a departmental workforce with only average experience and skills to achieve high productivity and successful performance. It’s called “teamwork” and it happens often!

Is It Time for a Tune-Up?

It’s important to remember that we all have a choice – to be either positive or negative in any situation – and we make those choices every day. By keeping our power and being aware of our own attitude and choices, we can protect ourselves from external circumstances and other people’s negativity.

What can you do to safeguard your attitude?

• Solve personal conflicts quickly
• Take the “high road” if someone behaves unreasonably or unfairly
• Insulate or distance yourself from a person with whom you have a repeated conflict
• Focus on the work
• Change your traffic pattern to avoid people who pull your attitude down

Remember: Your attitude belongs to you and you alone!

Be open to new people, ideas and processes that create positive changes and improved bottom-line results. The business world consists of many people who are different from you. We’re dependent on each other to achieve common goals. We need to understand and work effectively with all the labor resources. Opportunities for us to learn about other backgrounds and cultures broaden our perspective with new ideas, talents, and points of view – it all affects bottom-line results!

A word of caution – don’t go overboard by becoming a noisy cheerleader who spends more effort on projecting your attitude than nurturing it. Above all, don’t try to display what you don’t possess! Be yourself – if your attitude isn’t what you want it to be, resist the temptation to project an edited version. Project the real thing! Be authentic!

Life is a learning journey and all we can do is to strive to do our best each day. A wise person once said, “If you place more emphasis on keeping a positive attitude than on making money, you’ll be successful and the money will take care of itself.

Take the first step on the road to tuning-up your attitude with a check of your “Attitude Barometer.” Be good to yourself, enjoy the ride and make a Positive Impact on your career and workplace with a positive attitude!

Happy New Year everyone!

MJ Paris

P.S. Do you know someone who needs "Positive Energy" in their workplace? Feel free to forward this issue to friends, family and colleagues!

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About MJ

Mary Jane (MJ) Paris brings a broad base of experience in management, leadership and employee development gained from more than 25 years in sales management, retail banking, training, recruiting, project management, event planning and community leadership.
Her common sense approach and practical experience combined with her dynamic presentation skills provide a solid foundation for understanding her client’s needs and challenges.

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