Attitude is one of those human characteristics that is very hard to describe.
You don’t think a lot about the definition of attitude until you are asked to share an opinion regarding a colleague. As you think about your colleague, one of the defining characteristics on which you will reflect is his attitude. It is very common to hear something similar to one of the following statements when you are thinking about one of your colleagues:
- “I love Carol! She has a great attitude and always gets her work done with a smile.”
- “David? Ugh. That guy has such a bad attitude. I stay away from him as much as I can.”
- “Mark is a real go-to guy. I can really depend on him to deliver.”
Humans are attuned to attitude whether you are perceived by your colleagues as having a good or bad one. While attitude is hard to define, your colleagues definitely will “know it when they see it.”
As our focus is on building a good reputation, it is natural that our focus will also be on a good attitude. A good attitude is typically reflected by the following attributes:
- Optimistic. You choose to be positive and have a “can-do” perspective.
- Flexible. You choose to be open to change and generous in the number of options that you are willing to consider.
- Polite. You choose to be kind and courteous to your colleagues, even during times of stress and conflict.
Next we’ll take a look at how behavior influences your reputation.
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Ed’s new book, Raise Your Visibility & Value: Uncover the Lost Art of Connecting on the Job is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
