Developing A Positive Attitude

1. Developing A Positive Attitude

2. Terms • Arrogance – being overbearing and full of self-importance • Assertive – being direct, honest, and polite to those around you • Attitude – your way of looking at people and the world • Defensive – being very angry and refusing to listen to peers and others around you

3. Terms Cont’d • Enthusiasm - eager interest • Gossip – idle talk that consists mostly of rumors • Professionalism – handling problems and criticism at work gracefully and maturely • Self-esteem – a recognition and regard for yourself and your abilities

4. I’m Positive • Positive thinking is the first step in building a positive attitude. • Positive thinkers tend to get along well with others. • When you are able to turn a bad situation into a good one by listening to a customer, you are demonstrating a positive behavior. • Your attitude and how you react in certain situations at work and in life determine how others perceive you.

5. Developing Self-Esteem • An essential step in developing self-esteem is to recognize your abilities • A feeling or knowledge of your abilities, called confidence, generates success. • Repeating to yourself statements such as “I can achieve whatever I want” can help you overcome inner doubt.

6. The Importance of Enthusiasm • Doing your work with enthusiasm can help you develop a reputation as a hard and willing worker.

7. Dealing With Mistakes • A good way to handle a mistake is to learn from it.

8. Representing Yourself • To make sure your work efforts are recognized, you should keep a journal of your accomplishments.

9. Assertiveness – Not Arrogance • Sometimes assertiveness can be confused with arrogance if the person exhibits overbearing behavior.

10. Acting Like A Professional • An important part of professionalism is handling criticism gracefully.

11. Accepting Criticism • One advantage of constructive criticism is that it addresses behavior, not attitude. • Criticism that is presented in a way that can help you learn and grow is constructive. • Sometimes it is difficult to accept criticism when you are standing up for the values that are important to you.

12. Handling Pressure • When you are dealing with a complex problem at work, it’s a good idea to break larger tasks into smaller steps. • Making a daily “to do” list can help you deal with on-the-job pressure.

13. Handling Gossip • A worker who gossips frequently does so in order to feel important.

14. Controlling Anger • Channeling your energy into problem solving can help you control anger on the job.