As we know all too well, one negative employee can pollute an entire team and create a toxic work environment. One negative leader can make work miserable for his/her team. An employee in a bad mood can scare away countless customers. Complaining can act like a cancer and spread throughout the entire organization and eventually destroy your vision and goals. And pervasive negative attitudes can sabotage the morale and performance of teams with great talent and potential.
That’s the bad news... but there’s also good news.
Positive emotions are just as contagious as negative emotions. One positive leader can rally a group of willing people to accomplish amazing things. One positive team member can slowly but surely improve the mood and moral of his/her team. And pervasive positive attitudes and emotions at work can fuel the morale and performance of your organization.
You are not just a creation of your culture but rather you are creating it every day through your thoughts, beliefs and actions. What you think matters. How you feel matters. And the energy you share with others, whether it’s positive or negative, really matters.
You can be a germ and attack your organization's immune system or you can act like a dose of Vitamin C and strengthen it.
So the next time you head into work with a bad mood you might want to stop before you walk in the door, check yourself. Do you have on your “Game Face”? This is what great managers know to simply be Professional Poise. It doesn’t matter what else has happened or what will happen, great managers always remain Positive, Constructive and Solution Oriented.
So, as you stand at the door, ask yourself, Are you prepared to inspire your teammates or deflate them? You are not an island unto yourself. You are forever contagious and you and your emotions impact the world around you.