Tip #283: The Power Of Positive Attitude

What is attitude? What does attitude mean in the workplace? Essentially, attitude is the mental state through which we perceive the world and respond to those perceptions. Attitude lays the groundwork for how we think and act in the workplace, and as a result is a crucial element to our job success.

Having A Positive Attitude Takes Practice.

For some, a positive attitude comes naturally. For others, positive attitude is something that needs to be consciously worked on and maintained. For those who need to apply practice to the theory of positive attitude in the workplace, I have outlined five steps to help you develop and maintain a positive attitude, and in the process achieve success.

5 Steps To Develop A Positive Attitude In The Workplace:

1. Learn If You Are Part Of The Problem - Most people who contribute to negativity fail to realize they are doing so. Their bad attitude is rarely a conscious thought, but rather a blind spot in their personality that holds them back. Hard-earned success is the direct result of when an individual recognizes their shortcomings and actively strives to rid themselves of those flaws.

2. Remember To Look Before You Leap - This can be applied to any obstacle in life - especially in the US workforce, where the tireless call for efficiency has put a big red "rush" stamp on all our foreheads. Simply put, slow down. In the grand scheme of things, it is far more efficient to execute something without a hitch the first try than to execute something satisfactorily on a second or even third attempt.

3. Stop Worrying About Everyone Else - This is another prevalent issue in the workplace: Employees who are overly preoccupied with their colleagues instead of themselves. Attitudes tend to be infectious, so the fastest way to see changes in others is to exhibit change in yourself. Focus on your own faults before you focus on the faults of others.

4. Practice Being Grateful In The Workplace - It is easier to see the negative than the positive, since the negative always seems so much more glaring. But chances are there are more things you appreciate at work than find fault in. Try to actively recognize and emphasize the good. Draw up a list of all the things you are grateful for at work and weigh them against the negative. This is a huge component to having a positive attitude in the workplace.

5. Always Look For Opportunities To Be Positive - Every bad moment has its upside. The trick is to find that upside. All it takes is the effort to look. Whenever you perceive something as bad initially, take a moment to consider things from all sides until you find something positive to take away from it.

Summary: Attitude is the difference between "work" and a "job." The former carries with it a sense of begrudging acceptance, of grind and the mundane. The latter, however, does not. A job is performed; work is completed. Positive attitude in the work place is a matter of seeing the glass half full instead of half empty. While your gut reaction may be to see things the other way around, applying some of the tricks I outlined above will help condition you to see things more positively, which will improve the quality of your work life sevenfold.