Modern Business Life - The Blog of Author and Analyst Bradley J. Martin

I work in a professional office environment, and when looking at the employees and management around me, I can see a very clear correlation between a positive work attitude and positive results.  It seems that those who maintain a positive attitude (even when things are not necessarily going their way), consistently produce successful work results.  Even if they come up short on delivering,  having a positive attitude will cover up a multitude of sins.  Why you might ask?  The answer is simple.  People gravitate towards positive people.

Be an “I CAN” Employee or Boss

No one wants to constantly hear you complain to them, or tell them about how miserable you/your job is.  If you constantly do this, you will quickly become known not as a “rainmaker” or producer, but rather as a complainer.  It has been my experience that those who constantly complain about their jobs, their workloads, or other people… spend more time complaining about issues than facing them head on.  Those who think, “I can’t” leave themselves with no options or recourse.  “I can’t” quickly becomes reality… and turns into “I didn’t”.

On the other hand, those who take the mindset of, “I CAN” suddenly open up multiple courses of action.  If you are facing a difficult problem and take the mindset of, “I can figure this out”, then suddenly you are in a position to come up with options.  Not all options may be good or ideal, but taking action to solve a problem will always leave you in a much better position than taking no action and letting the problem overcome you.

Those employees who consistently produce positive results, are the same ones who take ACTION.  Those employees who do not produce positive results (and then complain about it), are the ones who let difficult situations overcome them.  They simply quit.

Misery Loves Company… So Does Success

I know the old saying, “misery loves company”.  This may seem to contradict what I said previously with regard no-one wanting to be around a complainer.  I should clarify.  No one who produces results will want to surround themselves with a complainer.  Those with positive outlooks who consistently deliver results will want to be around others with the same trait.  That kind of negative energy will drag them down, which is the last thing that positive people want.

It’s true, misery does love company.  People who like to complain will want to be around other people who like to complain.  Don’t be around this group of people… it will bring you down.  Align yourself with positive thinkers, and that synergy will elevate the entire group.

A Few Easy Steps to Help Become Positive

1) Positive Responses: When it is a Monday and someone asks you how you are today… don’t fall into the trap of saying, “Well, it’s Monday.  I wish it were still the weekend” or “Doing as good as can be expected for a Monday”.  These are negative responses.  Try saying, “It’s a great Monday, and I can’t wait to get the week off to a good start!”.  You will be amazed at how empowering this is, and how it helps to set your day off in the right direction.

2) Solve a Problem: Do you have a problem or situation that is nagging you… Perhaps one that you have been avoiding?  Make a choice to face the problem and solve it.  If you go after a problem instead of the problem going after you, it puts you on the offensive.  Solving a nagging issue will be a big confidence boost for you!

3) Walk 20% Faster: This one may seem silly, but when you go somewhere around the office, try walking 20% faster that you normally would.  Don’t mope… stand up straight and walk with purpose.  This may seem silly.. but if you choose to display the physical trait of energy, this will help you to get mentally energized and feel like you can tackle any issue in your way.  Give it a try, and be amazed.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!