The Power of Positivity

August 9, 2018

A good image and a positive attitude can go a long way.  The image we are ultimately building in the workforce is a team player who is positive, flexible and a hard worker.  No one wants to be around negative people no matter how well they perform on the job. I generally refer to these people as “Negative Nellies or Marty Whiners.”

They are the ones that are always proclaiming that the sky is falling any minute!  

A negative attitude can be the biggest obstacle to an individual’s career and brand.  A coworker who repeatedly points out everyone else’s mistakes can make a work environment very stressful. We often complain about others because we think they are not up to our standards.  Once we stop judging people without knowing their stories, we will most likely complain less about the things people do.  

For example, one of my colleagues was up for a review and wanted to bring up the fact that her boss showed favoritism toward a few coworkers and often took credit for the team’s work.  I asked her what she thought it might accomplish by bringing this up.  She stated that she wanted him to be more self-aware and know how the team felt. “Don’t you think your boss already knows he is acting unfairly?” I responded.   

Her bringing it up to him was only going to cause strife between the two of them.  Therefore, I recommended that she leave the personal accusations out of the conversation and only focus on what she wanted to do with her career in the meeting. More importantly, no one had officially appointed her as the spokesperson for the team.

It’s better to take the high road on a lot of issues. A positive attitude yields far greater results. Here are a few ways to bring positivity to your work environment: 

1. Use your strengths to contribute to the team’s vision and goals. 
2. Be the role model—people are drawn to positivity.  
3. Don’t be a complainer—every day is not a good day, but don’t let negative experiences inside or outside of work impact your mood. 
4. Take care of yourself—stress can deteriorate your health.  Make sure you get some exercise and eat right 80 percent of the time. 

And when you feel your boss is treating you unfairly, or your boss is an idiot, it may be time for you to move on. But until you make that decision, stay on the kind, respectful and positive path. Remember, people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. 

“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Francesca Reigler