HUMAN RESOURCES: The Value of a Positive Attitude

Have you ever met or worked with someone who seemed to always have a dark cloud following him or her around? The kind of person who had a new problem every day? Someone who continually complained and lamented about his or her hardships? Most everyone can name a person who fits this mold; either someone from their family or someone they have worked with. If you take a closer look at these people and their situations, you might find that their problems are truly real and that they aren’t just “makin’ it up.” Maybe their significant other really is a psychopath. Or perhaps the wheels of their car really did fall off that morning. Or lightning really did strike their pool heater sending a shock wave throughout the house that burned out every single electrical outlet and corresponding appliance, light or device!

The fact is, bad things do happen to good people and most of these people are good individuals with bad luck. The problem is that our workplace has become the stage upon which most of life’s dramas are acted out. So what’s an employer to do? You can’t isolate people for eight hours a day and ask them not to talk to anyone. From experience, we know that many people with significant personal problems talk about their issues at work. Problem is, other folks don’t really want to hear about their coworker’s problems and don’t really care. Not that they’re trying to be cruel or anything…they may just be trying to focus on work and may desire a pleasant, positive, relaxed environment. After all, aside from a professional counselor, who wants to come to work and listen to someone else’s problems all day? I know I don’t, and I don’t think I’m alone.

In my experience, I have found that hiring people with a positive attitude can solve 90 percent of this problem. Why? Because all things being equal, people with a positive attitude see the glass half full instead of half empty. They have the ability to go through life’s ups and downs and still keep a smile on their face. They can face life’s hardships and speed bumps and emerge stronger, better people. They are less cynical, easier to develop, and more willing to please. These are the kind of people you want to hire and retain. You can teach and train someone with a positive attitude; but have you ever tried to develop an employee with a negative, angry, or bitter demeanor? Good luck. People like this can become a cancer that spreads throughout the organization, resulting in chaos, disruption, and a whole lot of unhappy people.

Charles Swindoll, a well-known minister, had these words to say about attitude: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.”

The next time you conduct an interview, take the time to dig deep into the attitude of the candidate. Is he or she positive and cheerful? Has the candidate successfully overcome challenges? Does he or she blame others for his or her problems? Ask candidates questions that will divulge their feelings on a variety of topics – look for patterns of negativity or hostility. Ask about the candidate’s philosophy of problems and problem-solving. Remember, job experience once was the sacred cow in hiring, but is no longer. Today, as Herb Kelleher from Southwest Airlines puts it, employers must “hire for attitude and train for skill.” If you do, you’ll create an environment where people want to stay.

No doubt about it – employees with the right attitudes are the ones who add the greatest value to the organization.