Session 4 Having A Positive Work Attitude People

Session 4 Having A Positive Work Attitude People Skills (PS 10 -01) Accredited By: Copyright © 2010 by The Association of Business Practitioners

Having A Positive Work Attitude • Unless you have been very lucky or inherited a huge fortune you may find yourself working at something you don't really enjoy, or in a job that is tiring and stressful. • You might have experienced this yourself or heard from your friends how they simply didn't like work and that they are working for an inconsiderate boss. Activity Write down the things which you do not feel positive about in your current job, or a previous job you have had. 1. How do you deal with it? 2. Discuss with other delegates if you could have dealt with it better? Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 2

Having A Positive Work Attitude • You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. • In other words, having a positive attitude will make you happier in work and also increase the chances of promotion at work. • Khalil Gibran, the noted philosopher once said: “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens”. Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 3

Having A Positive Work Attitude Some recent research suggests that only 4% of our worries come true. And that this 4% is usually only concerned with very small issues. When things might seem to go bad for you as they do for most of us and you start to worry, remind yourself about these statistics. As with all statistics there is another way of looking at this. You can think in a positive way that more than 95% of your worries will be taken care-off and you might as well focus on these. Activity This activity is for you to think about by yourself. Try and be honest with yourself in your answers. 1. What are the two most worry issues that you have at the moment? 2. What were the two most worrying issues you had two years ago? Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 4

Having A Positive Work Attitude The last activity should have shown that what you worried about two years ago is not a worry now. If it is then perhaps you should be thinking about doing something to resolve it. In general, what we worry about today does not turn out to be something that worries us in the future. Activity 1. Discuss with other delegates experiences you have had of being managed by someone with a positive attitude. What was it particularly that made you think they had a positive attitude? 2. Have you worked with people who are always telling you their problems and issues? If so, how did you feel when working with them? Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 5

Having A Positive Work Attitude • A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will affect enough people around you and so make it worthwhile. • For the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, attitude was a little thing that made a big difference. This certainly helped him to give British people a sense of hope in the early stages of the Second World War when it seemed that Hitler’s Germany, who had a much stronger army, would overrun Britain. • However you cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way, positively or negatively. Neither can you change the inevitable. The only thing you can do is play on the one thing that you have and that is your attitude. Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 6

Having A Positive Work Attitude • • Developing a positive attitude at work can determine how successful you are in your career and can be the difference between failure and success. [Examination Hint] Developing a positive attitude is not always easy. This can be tough especially when things seem to go wrong all the time. Tips for developing positive attitude 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Try and find the positives in a situation. Always aim to give it your best shot. Try to be diligent and proactive. Don’t be afraid of choosing the most difficult thing to do Try to relate to positive people and keep negative people at a distance. Try what works rather than being pessimistic about what doesn’t. Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 7

Having A Positive Work Attitude Activity What methods do you employ to remain positive at work? Are they effective or do you need to try some different ones? • You have seen so far how by being more creative, you can be more positive and develop a healthy attitude towards work. Thinking about the positive aspects of your job, rather than the negative ones is a good easy first step in having a positive attitude. If there are no positive aspects to your job then perhaps it is time for a change. Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 8

Summary • • • Start by looking at your job with kinder eyes. Be positive. Perhaps you are more lucky than some others who work in different jobs. Make a list of all the positive aspects of your job: perhaps you work in an office and don't have to suffer the extremes of the weather; perhaps you deal with people that you can learn from. When you focus on the good aspects of your job and feel thankful for them, you will naturally attract more things to be thankful for. Whether you have problems at home or in any other area of your life, or feel negative for any reason, don't be the complainer that goes around saying how difficult your life is. Think about how you feel when someone complains to you. We all have difficulties in life. However being positive really will make you feel better about them. Session 1: Customer Service (CS 10 -01) © BBPSD 2010, All Rights Reserved 9