Your Winning Attitude

by Suzanna Laurent

Attitude is your state of mind when you approach a person or situation. A positive attitude can make a difference in how successful and happy you are at work. Others can tell a great deal about your attitude by the way you

• Look: Are you smiling or frowning?

• Sound: Is the tone of your voice friendly or hostile?

• Behave: Are you a conscientious or a careless worker?

Why is attitude important? Because how you feel about your job affects how well you do it—and how coworkers feel about working with you!

We all like to be winners. It’s human nature to want to succeed. We enjoy feeling we have made a contribution and are needed and liked. Don’t let anyone fool you though—it takes hard work and a positive attitude to be a winner. People who enjoy their jobs and succeed are generally enthusiastic, willing to try their best, optimistic about challenges, efficient, and cooperative. These people have a winning spirit that puts them ahead of the game!

Your self-esteem (how you see yourself as a person) also affects your attitude. If you value yourself, you have good self-esteem. You’re proud to be you! Self-esteem is not the same as being selfish or self-centered. People with high self-esteem respect others as well as themselves.

People who have negative attitudes lose a lot. They are often careless and don’t appear to care how their attitudes affect others. They are easily discouraged, without well-defined goals, frequently absent, unable to solve problems or take risks, and unwilling to seek new challenges. People with low self-esteem are their own worst enemies; they don’t give themselves a chance to succeed and don’t think they have the power to change. These people often put themselves down, fear failure, take the easy way out, and resist change.

You can improve your attitude and self-esteem. It helps to spend time with others who feel good about themselves, because a positive attitude is contagious!

To improve your attitude, self-esteem, and job satisfaction

• Think positively.

• Understand the demands of projects, and perform efficiently.

• Set ambitious goals for yourself.

• Get to know people.

• Trust yourself and your perceptions.

• Acknowledge the negatives, but don’t dwell on them.

It’s not enough to know the difference between a good and bad attitude though; you’ve got to put your knowledge into everyday action! Leading the way involves being dependable, courteous, honest, and conscientious. When you cooperate with others,

• Show initiative.

• Do tough assignments first.

• Upgrade your skills.

• Accept challenges.

• Try to solve problems you lead by example.

Now that you know what a difference a positive attitude can make, use enthusiasm and a positive attitude to make a world of difference in your life—both on the job and off!

Suzanna is STC Region 5 Director-Sponsor.