Attitude has been defined as, "A predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitude influences an individual's choice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards (together called stimuli) - Businessdictionary.com. The site adds that there are four major components of attitude which are "(1) Affective: emotions or feelings. (2) Cognitive: belief or opinions held consciously. (3) Conative: inclination for action. (4) Evaluative: positive or negative response to stimuli." There are essentially two attitudes that persons can have: a good attitude or a bad attitude. There is a misconception in some organizations that the only thing that matters to work success is persons' ability to get the job done. This view does not understand the critical importance of workers having the right attitude.
A bad attitude is responding badly or negatively to something or someone; it involves thinking negatively. How are bad attitudes developed? Bad attitudes develop when people allow themselves to become proud. Pride causes people to have an overinflated opinion of themselves while seeing others as inferior. Pride inevitably leads to a lack of love and respect for others. Proud people also think that they are larger than the organization or the common good. They believe that they are indispensable to the organization, and that they are superior in the execution of their tasks.
Bad attitudes may also be due to improper training. Human Resource managers have begun to recognize the necessity of training to achieving and maintaining competitive advantage. Greater priority is being placed on customer service, which requires workers to have a good attitude to the company, to their coworkers and to the customers. When workers are not trained to prioritize these three areas, as well as be held accountable for them, they are more likely to develop bad attitudes.
Bad attitudes often come about because of a negative home environment. Many families today are dysfunctional. The product is dysfunctional individuals who are filled with negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, stress and bitterness and who are unable to relate well to people. Homes are characterized by separation and divorce. These do not simply have a traumatic effect on children but also affect the spouses themselves. Families are also characterized by various forms of abuse: physical, verbal, sexual and emotional. There is typically a lack of healthy communication and a lack of healthy core values. It is no wonder then, that when people come into the workforce, they are unable to function effectively. The situation will soon reach a point where companies will have to hire mental and counseling professionals to deal with this deteriorating problem.
Regardless of the source of bad attitudes, all organizations need people with good attitudes. Persons must first have a good attitude toward themselves. Self-love is not the same as narcissism. Persons who love themselves treat themselves with respect and see themselves as persons of value and importance. It is impossible to have a genuinely good attitude to others when you lack a good attitude toward yourself. Further, persons must have a good attitude to others - to their superiors, their subordinates, their coworkers and to the customers. Persons must have a good attitude to their task. They must recognize the importance of the task to the success of the organization. They must be faithful to the task and always look for ways to improve. Persons must also have a good attitude to the organization. If you are dissatisfied with the organization and nothing is changing for the better than the best thing to do is leave. The rule of thumb is like the place where you work or you will be a miserable person throughout your life.
There are a number of positive things that happen when persons have good attitudes. One of the results is better work relationships. People are more willing to cooperate with each other. They tend to work as a team creating an environment of synergy. People look out for each other and spur one another on to better performance. A natural outcome is increased productivity as persons are not carrying around emotional baggage. People are also more focused. Better relationships mean better communication and cooperation, which lead to innovation and problem solving. Persons with good attitudes motivate others.
However, there are a number of negative things that result when an organization has persons with negative attitudes. One of these is low morale: persons are simply not motivated to perform at their best. This inevitably leads to low productivity; in some cases, productivity may simply be below what the organization is truly capable of producing. Bad attitudes result in conflict and division. Persons with bad attitudes are difficult to get along with. They could be too passive, unwilling to do what needs to be done. They can be aggressive, like corporate bullies. Or, they can be passive-aggressive, quietly working behind the scenes to frustrate progress. When persons with bad attitudes are not dealt with, affected persons begin to lose confidence in the leader. They expect the leader to do something and they are frustrated when nothing is done even though everyone knows who the problem person is.
Speaking of leadership, what do you do with people with a bad attitude? Early intervention is important; a classic mistake is to wait until too much damage has been done. Leaders can talk to persons with bad attitudes to assess the root of the problem. The problem may be quite fixable if leaders are willing to deal with it. Leaders can train persons to think differently and to maximize their abilities for the advancing of the organization; mentoring and coaching can help. A proper assessment of individuals may reveal that they are working in the wrong area: a simple transfer, then, may fix the problem. In worst case scenarios, when everything has been tried and has failed, the only other solution is to terminate persons with bad attitudes. Persons with negative attitudes will destroy what leaders are working to accomplish.
There are several right attitudes that should be encouraged. Here are a few. Organizations need persons with a can do attitude. These are individuals who are proactive and are committed to getting things done. There is also a need for persons with a sharing attitude - those who are committed to partnership rather than just working on their own. Greater results are achieved when we work with others. Organizations need persons with a people attitude, persons who have a genuine concern for others. Charitable organizations need persons with a reverent attitude - those who have respect for God and His work. Any organization that is progressive needs persons with an open attitude - those who are open to change. Finally, organizations need persons with a humble/learning attitude - people who are willing to learn. This has to do with the concept of constant improvement.
Let's look at some ways that can help in developing a good attitude. If you have a bad attitude, then you must recognize that you have a bad attitude. I think there will be sufficient clues to let you know that you have a bad attitude! You must not see yourself as indispensable to the organization. This is not to say that you aren't important, but that you must not be so proud to think that you can't be replaced; a little humility goes a long way. Further, practice the Golden Rule - do you want others to treat you the same way you treat others? If not, then treat others with respect and don't do to them what you don't want them to do to you. Further, see the bigger picture - it's not all about you; the organization exists for a reason. Do you know the organization's mission statement? Christians need to cultivate the fruit of the Holy Spirit: these include such qualities as love, joy and peace. Further, see your work/service/ministry as unto God. Finally, deal with the demons of your past - those unresolved issues that block you from having a good attitude. There are mental health professionals and religious ministers who can assist in this area.
Leaders need to recruit people with good attitudes who are talented, not people that are talented with bad attitudes. Sometimes desperation can cause us to use people with poor attitudes. We must always remember that character is more important than talent alone. Bad attitudes will have a detrimental effect on an organization. Good attitudes will have a positive effect.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Edison_D_Bynoe/1404290
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