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Vail Daily column: Our attitude at work

Have you ever noticed the people who love what they do? I mean, they are usually smiling, happy and seem like they could spend all day and night working. They are doing what they love and loving what they do.

The thing that always gets me is not so much that they obviously enjoy their occupation, it’s their overall attitude toward life that is at work that impresses me the most.

Now you may be thinking that the only people who really do what they love and love what they do are celebrities, professional athletes or people who are in positions that help them earn an income that is far above what the average person earns. But I am sure you can think of many people you know, probably even more than you think, who really enjoy what they do. We can see the positive attitude at work in their personal and professional life and sometimes we wish we could feel the same way, don’t we?



UNDERLYING FOUNDATION

I am sure you can think of many people you know, probably even more than you think, who really enjoy what they do.

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In my travels over the years I have met people who are in positions of manual labor, housekeeping, food and beverage, hospitality, health care, banking, legal, professional services, consulting, transportation and from many other careers. And from the guy shining shoes to the investment banker, from the bartender to the lawyer, and from the massage therapist to the respiratory therapist, I have witnessed amazing attitudes at work.



And I don’t just mean attitudes at work while they work, I am talking about the positive attitude that must be the underlying foundation of who they really are that is at work in their lives.

I am sure that you can see the difference between people who live every aspect of their lives thinking and acting in a positive manner as compared to those who we know who live and work as if the world was ending and who are grounded, and even stuck in a negative mindset. They have an attitude at work in their lives, too, it’s just a negative attitude.

So which attitude is at work in your life? And the more important question is this, how obvious is it to everyone you encounter? Can your friends and family see which attitude is at work? Can your customers or potential employers tell which attitude drives your actions and behaviors?

Sometimes we can get caught up in a job we don’t like, or the fact that we are out of work for a little while. We may be working in a department or on a project with people we don’t get along with. And we may see ourselves in a position where we can no longer be promoted or we just can’t seem to make any more money. So what happens? What attitude will prevail and be at work in our lives if we aren’t careful? Right, it’s easy to let the negative attitude and voices in our lives drag us down.

HIRING ATTITUDE FIRST

It doesn’t matter what work we do — it really doesn’t. What matters is the attitude that is at work in our lives while we work. There are so many companies that follow the model of hiring and promoting attitude first. This means that they will look for people with the right attitude and worry about teaching them the skills later. They find that this fosters a sense of team and accomplishment and healthy working environment. Could you imagine if we did the same thing in our personal relationships, looking for people to hang out with who are motivated and positive?

So I will ask you again, what attitude is at work in your life? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we have the right attitude at work in our lives, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is a strategic consultant, business and personal coach and motivational speaker. He writes a weekly motivational column for the Vail Daily.


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