It’s All About Attitude

8th Sep 2005 @ 11.29am

Do you notice when people have an attitude? I certainly do. It’s that hard-to-define thing that exudes from people - the way they move, the way they talk, the eye contact, the gestures.

Most people in most situations don’t have a discernable attitude. It’s in that great grey zone of the unremarkable. We think little of them, because they make little impact.

Attitudes are infectious. Like a yawn. See or even hear someone yawn, and you will probably yawn yourself. A negative attitude will immediately cause most people to react similarly, or at least a little negatively. It makes life harder than it needs to be.

But a good attitude has great bonuses. A feeling of well-being, of positivity, will wash over those who come into contact with it.

Earlier today I was on a flight in the US. Usually the cabin crew are unremarkable. Not that they do anything other than a professional job…it’s just that they don’t stand out. I have come to expect nothing else. But, in a direct contrast to my usual experience, the stewardess on the small plane exuded positivity from the word go. She really cared about people, she enjoyed her job, and she did a little more on every occasion to make the journey that bit better. She saw my portfolio case and asked if I was an architect. When I told her that I am part of The Storytellers, she was immediately and genuinely interested in what we do.

What I realise, of course, is that this one stewardess has changed my impression of American Airlines for the better. Just a step, but one in the right direction.

Our experiences are like scorecards. Checks and balances. Experiences that we have of brands, products and services are tallied up in our minds subconsciously. We will make decisions, big ones or small, on the current score that is personal to us. Attitude carries a very high weighting factor.

This comes back to what we do. I want a very real output of our work to be a positive change in the attitudes of our clients’ employees. People will be more positive if they understand, contribute to and are engaged in the goals of the business. They will feel more valued, more part of a team and more responsible for the outcome of everything they do. Positive attitude will come from this - it can’t be taught, it has to be genuine, and if we set the scene for more of those positive experiences we are making a real difference.

posted by Paul Honeywell
filed under Engagement