Technology Discussion Forum

Begin with a positive attitude. The article at the next link is focused on creating and maintaining a productive workplace through your positive attitude. 

I remember the fish attitude study a few years back. That was a tool for managing your attitude. The preceding article has more scholarly voice, but the basic concept is the same. Your thoughts and terminology affect your attitude. I am reminded of a moment when our vertical team was working through a negative year. Our attitudes got worse and worse. One day at lunch our discussion began as usual, moving toward its inevitable grousing, when one of the teachers commented to our team leader that she seemed unusually upbeat. She replied that she had decided that today was going to be a good day. As she began to discuss her thoughts from the evening before, I began to recognize the downward spiral our attiudes had taken. The discussions had began as simply blowing off steam, but they began to creep into daily preparations. We began the day with thoughts of the problems we would encounter and the disapproval that other colleagues in the building seemed to have toward us. Before long, that took over all of our school related thoughts. We went to school anticipating the problems the day had in store. We ate lunch, amidst all of the things the principal did that undermined our efforts. We went home with the things that other colleagues did to hurt us. We went to sleep drowning in the negative events of the day. Then we woke up in the same bog to begin the cycle again. The negative cycle stopped at lunch that fateful day. We all began to change our attitude. Our year began to improve, and it all began with a decision to have a good day.

I also remember a series of videos our church showed for improving your marriage. A main point that was stressed in one of the videos was that your mental attitude will affect your marriage. What was suggested, was that every time you see your spouse, you should say or think, "Wow! I am so blessed (lucky for those that choose not to be blessed) to be married to him/her." The premise being that your atitude would follow your words and thoughts. Even if it is forced at the beginning, it will eventually make its way into your subconscious to begin to change the way you think about your spouse. That holds true with your attitude toward colleagues and your job. Begin each day and each encounter with coworkers by thinking, "Wow! What a professional." It may be forced at first, but eventually you will begin to give your colleague the respect they deserve.