Having a Positive Attitude at Work – and Why it Matters

Caryn Walsh is a chief executive officer, business strategist, and executive coach at Pure Magic International Business Solutions. She specialises in leadership, people and organisational development. She is also the winner of eight international and national awards in leadership and team development and empowering women to thrive.

She works with organisations in Fiji.

She can be contacted at caryn@ puremagicbusiness.com.au

You walk into the office and people don’t look up and smile when you walk in. In fact, they don’t seem interested in you, their job, or anything. Throw into this ongoing workplace conflict, bad attitudes and people who ignore others or sulk at work (yes, it happens) when they don’t get their way – and bingo!

You have an unhappy workplace and people pray things will improve.

Or perhaps they are looking for greener pastures elsewhere? An attitude ‘is a particular way of thinking or feeling about something’ which could mean good or bad.

In business, your attitude can make the difference between being successful in your role or not, and being a great colleague to others who enjoy working with you every day.

Or they could be coming to work with a feeling of dread, knowing that they will have to put up with other people’s bad moods or bad behaviour, yet again.

Is this you?

Of course, if people are allowed to have bad attitudes and behaviour at work, then you will get more of it.

Mediocrity.

If you’re a leader and tolerate sloppy work ethics in the office and allow people to come late, not complete their work on time and don’t seem to care – well then, you’ll get more of it.

Much like putting the morning, your choice

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We develop them over time and as children, we tend to model our behaviour on those around us – mostly family members.

Many unhelpful attitudes continue as we grow into adults, and if allowed to remain, they become the ‘way we do things around here.’

And it is unhelpful.

Three helpful values that drive attitudes are pride, passion and belief (in yourself and your organisation) and form the cornerstone of your attitude. Www.careersuccess-for-newbies explains that ‘Passion means intense enthusiasm for your work and that you believe in yourself to do a top job consistently.’

So, are you passionate about your job and enthusiastic? Attitudes at work and across your life really matter – a lot. If you decide to have bad attitude (like putting on a shirt) you will bear the same negative energy on those around you, making them miserable and not wanting to work with you in the long term?

However, if you choose to be joyous and happy across all aspects of your life, people will be drawn to you and see you as an enthusiastic and happy person with a not born

clothes on attitude is with

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attitudes. powerful presence.

So, which is it? Which do you choose?

What does a Bad Attitude at Work look like?

Inconsistent behaviour. One minute they greet you and the other they ignore you Unpredictable behaviour – One moment your team member is your great buddy. The next they are gossiping about you in the tea-room

They don’t do any more than they are paid to do. ‘I will only do what I am paid to do’ attitude. And it sucks

They routinely leave on time, even if their team members are struggling to get their work finished on time

Generally moody, unco-operative

Talks about others, but is nice to their face

They create conflict in the team and blame others for doing it They never see the light. Everything is negative, problematic They have a scowl on their face and make other people’s working life unhappy

They try not to be accountable or responsible for things they have to do grumpy and

What the research says about attitudes at work

According to recent research, having a good attitude at work is more than just being nice.

It is about seeing the opportunities at work (glass half full) and the good in others and situations around you.

Having a positive attitude enables you to:

■Achieve greater career heights

■Be offered more development and training opportunities

■Be seen as a ‘high-flier’ with the opportunity for your career to be fast-tracked

■Be paid more

■Be more praised and supported in your role

■Become the positive ‘go to’ person in your role

■Havi■g a positive attitude at work can help you rise up the business ladder, succeed in your work, meet goals and generally enjoy life more.

Six winning attitudes at work

■Be positive, upbeat – see the good in your work and those around you. Be optimistic and the person at work that others admire and want to be connected to. Stand out because you are always a ‘can-do’ person

■Focus on Excellence – in everything you do, or say, or in the way that you behave. You check and check again that your Reports

are in on time and no spelling mistakes are in there, so your manager knows that when they expect work from you, it will be top-quality

Attitudes at work and across your life really matter – a lot. If you decide to have bad attitude, you will bear the same negative energy on those around you, making them miserable and not wanting to work with you in the long term? However, if you choose to be joyous and happy across all aspects of your life, people will be drawn to you and see you as an enthusiastic and happy person with a powerful presence.

■Be supportive and encouraging. Everyday at work is not always wonderful. We all have good and bad days. Be encouraging of others when they are not having a good day and show support. Offer to help them when they need it as opposed to leave them struggling to get things done

■Be easy going: The workplace is often full of ‘perfect’ people (in their own mind at least.) Don’t be like that. Be flexible, agile, and easy to bend if it helps others. Often easy-going people are the best in stressful times and whilst others may get panicky and anxious, the easy-going colleague goes with the flow. The small things in life don’t upset them.

■Show enthusiasm: Be passionate, excited. Be prepared to put everything you have into your work and the relationships you have with your colleagues. They could be your lifeline. People love enthusiastic people – your energy provides traction to the group to move forward

■Be resilient: Life is not always good but when you’re having a bad day at work, remember that it’s just a bad day. You have so many other great days to remember to bounce forward and not focus on the things that don’t work. Many things do so focus on those.

Like many things in life, your attitude is your choice.

With so much research outlining all the advantages having a positive attitude at work provides, wouldn’t you move towards getting on board – and be optimistic in everything you do?