Are attitudes learned? I want to share that attitudes can be learned. With the proper knowledge and systems, such as a set of rules, we can transform from having poor rapport to engaging with almost anyone. Here are some valuable tips to help us present a great attitude in the workplace.
Smile. There is nothing more beautiful than a smile. A recent student interview in The Voice Magazine (last week) showed a woman with a beautiful smile. Her eyes were warm and tender. And all the other interviewees with smiles radiated similar joy. To increase positivity, when someone enters the room or approaches us, smile brightly, stand up, and greet them warmly.
Posture: Stand and sit up straight. An engaged colleague of mine would sit upright in her chair at a perfect 90 degrees at one of my offices. Her goal was to advance her role as a project manager. The quality of her work was never discussed. But her posture of professionalism made her seem like the ideal employee.
Avoid inaction. I recently saw a near-death experience video where the woman who temporarily died said that she saw her life review. However, she also reported that she regretted not her actions during her life but her inaction. Her lesson was to take action that generates love. So, now if I feel like working instead of cleaning, I remind myself of her words and how happy a clean place makes others. Our actions—not inactions—are what drive change and foster positivity.
Choose smooth instead of jerky movements. When nervous, I’ll do short, choppy hand movements to explain myself. But people in leadership roles tend to apply smooth movements. I saw in a course that we should nod slowly rather than quickly. And we should slowly shift from a neutral expression to a smile and vice versa. These movements are not just warmer and more natural; they also reflect a leadership persona.
Do verbal mirroring. If a client says, “Folks,” I should say, “Folks.” It’s called verbal mirroring. Recently a client made a request using the word “folks.” I debated whether to reply by using the word “folks,” but instead put my email through Grammarly for a more formal email. Sadly, I missed an opportunity to connect with the client. We can strengthen our relationships by incorporating the language used by the people we encounter.
Be a “can-do” person. Say, “I’ll get a solution,” even when at a loss for how to proceed. However, it’s good to ask for the management’s logic behind any action they wish us to do. That way, if we need to modify the action, we have some idea of why the action is required in the first place. And we can then choose a better action to achieve the same goal. Regardless, we should always indicate that finding a solution is our goal.
With a great attitude, we are all be capable of leading large corporations or achieving the loftiest of goals. After all, we deserve a life that exceeds our wildest dreams, regardless of our so-called limitations. And nothing can hold us back when we foster pure positivity!
