Tangled Up In “Nots”?
“We’ll never finish the job on time—especially with the limited resources we’ve been given.” “How come our department always gets all the ‘special’ projects”? “The new associate is nothing like the person she replaced. What was management thinking?” Negative words reflecting negative attitudes from negative people.
We’ve all worked with employees who slumped around the office with what seemed to be a dark cloud hovering over them. Wherever they went, problems, miscommunications, and extra work followed. Nothing was ever good enough, fast enough, or complete enough.
Medical studies and common sense tell us that people tied up in “nots” get tied up in knots, experiencing more physical, emotional, and situational complications than those with a more positive approach. They seem to get less work done and generally have a counterproductive effect on those around them.
Reconsider the opening comments, this time with a positive twist. “Even though we don’t have all the resources we need, wouldn’t it be great if we could finish the job on time?” “Every time our department gets ‘special’ opportunities, we have a chance to “perform miracles” and impress the muckety-mucks.” “The new associate seems to have different assets and experiences than we’re used to. We can learn a fresh, outsider perspective.” Different words and different attitudes get different results.
Being positive doesn’t mean hopping through the office being Sam or Suzy Sunshine, oblivious to all the difficulties and challenges of the work environment. But it does mean looking at situations and seeing the promise rather than the peril.
Focus on communicating positively. You’ll get more and better work done. And the people around you will be happy when you enter the room, not rush to find the exit.
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