Thinking about my own expressions of being positive and reflecting on it is that my job
really allows me to express this. I am a Personal Trainer at a gym and for my clients to be
able to tackle one of the workouts I have planned for them I need to make sure I stay
positive throughout the work out for them. There is nothing worse then having a coach that
is negative and just not giving you that energy that you need to get through that work out.
You want someone that is going to be interactive, pushing you to that limit and keeping you
motivated. For that you need someone that is positive and willing to go that extra mile for
you. The hardest part for me is being so positive in my morning class ( which is at 4:30am)
the car ride over there is always a struggle but when I set foot in the gym the positivity just
starts to flow and I am ready to go! I am sure it helps them get through the work out that
early in the morning. I like to think of myself as a super positive and cheerful person. I
bring positivity to my day every single day by just doing certain things throughout the day
to keep myself upbeat. My first thoughts when I wake up are to be grateful to be alive and
well. I do some morning stretches to get these lazy bones going and down a big glass of
water. I speak to myself in the mirror daily. If you can't face yourself at your best moments
you surely will not be able to do it in your worst moments. I do self talk ALL the time. I
have post its posted all around my house of my goals, positive memos to myself, and
inspirational quotes. I choose to treat myself with the utmost appreciation because I value
myself and everything about me; my time, my energy, my focus, my goals, my family, my
education, my well being, and especially my attitude. My life is meaningful and I want to
make an impact or a difference no matter how big or small while I am here on earth. With
that being said, how I treat myself is how I treat others. I ALWAYS want to be able to say
I treat people how I treat myself and actually mean my words.Working in the life insurance
business has definitely opened my eyes to so many different cultures and backgrounds. You
meet all walks of life; some may be young or old, rich and poor, educated or dropout. Since
having started in this business I have learned never to judge a book by its cover and to
always keep an open mind. I have learned some of the most interesting things from people
who would be considered uneducated or poor. No matter who the person is, there is always
something you can learn that you may not have known prior to communicating with said
person. Granted, you get some nasty people from time to time but I pride myself on
breaking down those barriers that people tend to build when just meeting someone new. A
simple smile can do the trick but just being a genuinely nice person always trumps because
you radiate positivity when you treat people in a manner they are to be treated and people
buy from people they like.Working for myself I don't have to worry to much about
inconsistencies unless I am the one making them. If I had to deal with such nonsense I
would like to think I would keep the same cheery disposition I normally have on a day to
day basis. Being an upbeat person is just alluring. I want to draw people in not away. I do
understand errors happen from time to time but after a little conversation stating the errors
along with a great job, keep up the good work.....just pay closer attention to.....(areas
needed.) Honestly, we are adults. We don't need to be scolded. Just a simple conversation
with clear directives, expectations, and gratitude goes a long way. When I think of my own
positivity and how I express it, I tend to tell people they are valued, and show support
verbally and nonverbally. My expressions of positivity also change depending on who I am
speaking to. At work, I offer my assistance to co-workers, I acknowledge them when they
have had a success, and I tell them I appreciate the time and attention they put into an
assignment or task. When I am with my family, I show expressions of positivity differently.
I give hugs and I tell them I love them. I also am someone who apologizes when I am
wrong or make a mistake. d When writing in a positive tone at work, I should know who my
audience is when I am writing an email, memo, or other types of correspondences. I should
write in a clear and concise manner that others will understand. I should also avoid using
negative words or phrases that would receive an adverse reaction from those I am
communicating with. Maya Angelou wrote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you
said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel” . I worked for Walmart. As a customer host. My job duties were to greet every
customer coming into. store and leaving. I also had to scan their receipts. This job came
with the good, bad, and very ugly. Don’t get me wrong I love my job but it was very
stressful. Because the customers would get offended. If I asked sir or ma’am can I check
your receipt? I recalled this one situation I asked to checked a customer receipt because
they had items that were not in a bag and the customer before them had items in a bag.
They called me racist it got out of hand quite. I had to reassure myself that I was only
doing my job. Anything that’s not in a bag I have to check. The customer even stood there
why I checked the next customer with items just like there’s. One example they found out I
didn’t treat them any different the situation calmed down. Sometimes you have to reassure
people especially working at retails stores. Yes I believe in the customer is always right but
to a certain extinct. I believe the way I handle myself didn’t put me in jeopardy or the
customer. There are several areas in my line of work that are judged by the score (%), I am
held accountable for my Market, and in turn I hold my Managers accountable and their
teams. I was the leading Market for the Business Unit in a program called the "Lift" where
the company minimum was 12% or higher. The majority of my 260 employees maintained
a score above 12% with a few stragglers under 10%. When I was exploring different was to
encourage my team to strive to reach the minimum I created a spreadsheet that ranked
everyone from the highest to the lowest with a color chart. The employees between 10 and
12% I labeled beside "go for 12%", the employees that were under 10% I labeled
"unacceptable". My direct supervisor and mentor through a coaching moment encouraged
me to reword how I addressed the under 10 with the same point but with "below company
standards". I was still getting the point across that they were not performing well, but I was
not as aggressive with how I let them know. I try to be positive every day. When I wake in
the morning i find that listening to gospel music while getting ready for work puts me in a
good mood. It calms me so to speak. Sometimes i have to tell myself, "Today is going to be
a good day!!" Because Lord knows one of my coworkers tries my patience! I smile a lot
and i greet everybody i come in contact with. I try to have an optimistic approach at work
and try to stay away from negativity and people who constantly complain about things. I
feel that negative energy begets negative energy and i feed off people. if i see someone is
having a bad day i will ask them if they are alright and try to give them encouraging words.
When attempting to keep a positive writing style at work i keep in mind who I'm
communicating with. I want to make sure i say what i have to say but make sure that i keep
it respectful so as not to offend anyone. The way I express positivity is by always being
kind whether I am at work or out in public. At work every morning when I go into the
office I always say "good morning". Someone could be having a rough morning and a
simple good morning would lift their spirits. I am always trying to be as positive was
possible even in negative situations or a negative environment. I don't like to dwell I like to
find a solution to the problem. At work I am sure we all have experienced a time when it is
just a busy, overwhelming day. Days like that I still remain positive because in a room full
of negative vibes, that one good vibe of positivity can shift the room. For example, one day
I came to work and we had about 2 call outs and every one was upset and worried about
not being able to get their work done and I simply told everyone don't stress we will work
together and get everything done. Instead of thinking the worst I like to think about the
good and find a solution. Being positive in uncertain situations can make things a lot less
stressful. Positivity (when writing) will impact the audience's outcome. I occasionally
become emotional when writing and have to ensure I do not “overdo it” when I express
myself because it might not have the best result. I like to express my opinion and make sure
I get my point across, but at the same time I want to ensure there is a win-win situation (for
both parties) and want to avoid offending someone if they do not agree with me.Some of
the resources provided in chapter 5 encourage you to consider the readers' values and
priorities. If we receive an email at work we should prioritize it and respond to it in a
timely manner. If we respond on time and in a professional manner, the outcome will often
be favorable. You are communicating to them that you have received the message and what
your next step will be. While doing this we also have to ensure our message is respectful.
We don’t want to sound “pushy” or demanding. Another resource was the AIM planning
process. This acronym stands for Audience, Identify, and Message. “Effective business
communicators possess an uncanny ability to step into the shoes of their audience
members” . I can think of a few moments where I exhibited positive behavior in my work
environment that led to us to not only complete our assignments, but complete them in an
effective manner. We had a tough project that required us, for weeks, to endure late nights
and early mornings. This assignment was not a field up, instead it was a simulated exercise
that required us to dedicate most of our time. My junior marines were on the brink of
collapse as they were extremely tired and burned out. But, every day, I would come in with
snacks and I would always tell them to not give up, that “no man can stop time” and once
we were done we could reap the benefits. I joked around with them in an attempt to keep
their spirits up. Needless to say, a few weeks of this led to the accomplishment of the
mission and it was efficiently accomplished, I might add. It was done so well, that they
were recognized by unit leadership. Adding a positive writing style can help mitigate
improper habits like logical inconsistencies even though they are common. Not too long
ago, one of my marines said “nobody wants to be in the marine corps” and at the time I did
not know he used a logical inconsistency, honestly I had no clue what it was. But now that
I think of it, he did in fact use a logical inconsistency. He made that comment based off of
the frustration towards the marine corps, but his mindset might have been different had he
been in a positive environment. I feel that with myself and giving politeness is that I am
constantly saying to people as I pass them especially when I am work or with the ladies I
work with I am always saying "Hi beautiful". I've been told numerous times that I make
people's day better by saying that to them. Plus, I feel by saying that or even just
acknowledging them as you past makes people feel like they are being seen. We never truly
understand what people are going through on a daily basis and even just a "Hi" makes a
huge difference. In my old position we had morning huddles in the morning where we
would get the plan for the day, joke around a little, and then go on our way to start
working. Now in my new position that doesn't happen, so I make sure I get to work a few
minutes earlier than I am suppose to start so I am able to say good morning and see how
my coworkers are doing. I feel it helps with good work morale and showing my coworkers
that I care. When I think positiveness, I think greeting people. Being able to say hello to
new people you may have just met at the grocery store, or even at your new job. Having
that little bit of time to ask a random person how they are doing? I feel positiveness is
stepping outside of that shell and reflecting your positive energy onto others. Being at work
obviously is a different atmosphere than the at home. However, why do we change who we
are at home to a totally different person at work? We think professionalism vs reality, but
why not be who we are destined to be? So, each day I work my manager manages to come
by to ask me how I am doing? And I typically respond back with good, how about
yourself? Then the conversation ends. I ask myself, why can’t I continue the conversation
to make things more positive and worth communicating? Until one day I decided to ask my
manager how he was doing? And made more efforts to check on him and give out care to
all my colleague’s. Then I think to myself maybe that was the message my manager was
gravitating towards. Asking others how they were doing? To make it a point to engage with
others whether it is uncomfortable or not. Now in my workplace us as colleagues write out
inspirational quotes, have morning huddles, and are able to form great communication with
those in and out of work. Positive thinking is undoubtably a fundamental factor when it
comes to overall business success. People are naturally drawn to positivity and having that
positive, optimistic attitude allows you the ability to influence and inspire your target
audience. A prime example would be how "Negative content tends not to go viral because
who wants to read all that text? ... You don’t need the same number of words to describe
why a cat is cute as you would need to explain why certain hypothetical cat shelters don’t
meet safety codes of care." ("The Importance Of Positivity In Business", 2015) As a firm
believer in having a positive mindset, I utilize this daily in all areas of my work. This
includes meetings, seemingly endless emails, as well as constant employer demands. There
have been numerous occasions where I needed to utilize my positivity in order to
successfully complete an assignment ahead of time. There is often the tendency to resist
doing things sooner that you are used to completing them, especially if it is a last minute
request. There is always too much to do and not enough time to do it -in just about every
occupational field. I believe you can get much more accomplished with a positive attitude
followed by positive influence. Many things can be going on in someone else life, and we
have no clue about. Foe example I had some customers the other day that I have known for
years, that night when he went home he shot himself and died, unbelievable and so sad that
this happened. I always try to help people if I can and do the right thing. If you keep doing
good things, good things will come your way.I agree with you that a simple "Hi" can
improve a persons day. I work in a hospital and I always make sure I acknowledge the
patient and the staff. I make sure to listen to their concerns and follow up with them to let
them know that I care. If I can put a smile on someone's face then I feel like I have made a
difference. You are correct in saying we don't know what people are going through. Being
friendly to someone doesn't cost anything and it's not as hard as some people make it out to
be. My coworkers and I try to keep a positive attitude and have been told by others in the
department that we are always laughing and working issues out together.I try to always be
kind no matter where I am at as well. I definitely try and be kind to those that are rude
because there obviously have been times where I have been rude back and I just feel really
bad after. You never know what someone is going through and they could be just having a
bad day. And, there have been so many times I have came to work in my old position and
have had more than 2 people off so it makes it hard to get the quota met for the day when
we are down people. Unfortunately, we can't change the fact that other people called out so
staying positive helps with your day and your attitude towards toward and like you said a
lot less stressful. I couldn't agree more with your statement. Before I use to second guess
myself and question whether I should continue to be kind when sometimes your kindness
can be mistaken for weakness. It wasn't until I got older that I had realized that I am just a
naturally kind person and people love to be around that type of energy. When you are a
positive person people just know that you can be trusted and can connect with on a higher
level. Offering acknowledgement to someone who may be having an off day is the best way
to turn that negative disposition they are into something positive. Sometimes all people
need is a warm smile and some acknowledgement. Being kind costs zero dollars yet most
strive for the bare minimum.
