Motivational gurus have made trillions of dollars telling us that having a positive attitude is the key to success. Wrong! You can be positive all you want and still be positively wrong, positively lazy and positively stupid. I don’t always have a great attitude. In fact, many times I have a really crappy attitude. That makes me a real human being. Things go wrong and affect my attitude. Luckily, I am not paid to be positive. You aren’t paid for your great attitude either. You are paid to do your job. I’ll take Mr. Crappy Attitude who gets the work done, and you can have Mr. Positive who believes that there are no problems, only opportunities. I’ll go with the guy who knows a problem when he sees it, gets ticked off by it and solves the problem!
But Larry, what if part of your job is to deal with customers? Wouldn’t you say that guy at radio shack you tried to buy batteries from had a crappy attitude?
Thank you, Larry! I can’t tell you HOW many times I’ve been told by a boss that how sunnily I smile and how cheerily I return everyone’s “good morning!” is as important as how well I do my job (in an office setting, not dealing with the public in any way). I honestly can’t see how my facial expressions and mechanical regurgitation of empty pleasantries (“good morning! have a nice weekend! how was your weekend?”) should be that important, as long as I properly and efficiently do the job I’m paid to do. I’m NOT paid to socialize. If most of you spent less time socializing and more time actually working, maybe something would get done around here.
Do the math, people. I’m not a morning person. You know that. Why is it so hard to just leave me be for an hour or so when I come in? It would save all of us a lot of pain if you’d stop trying to corner me into being Little Mary Sunshine, and stop equating sunniness with job performance. Also, stop telling me that there are no problems, only solutions… and that if I don’t fall in step with that, I’m part of the problem. No, being in denial about problems makes YOU part of the problem. Forgive me if I call attention to the ugly truth so the problem can be SOLVED.
I’m with you, Larry. Give me “Miss Crappy Attitude Who Gets Things Done” over “Miss Sunny Smile Who Spouts Empty Psychobabble Platitudes And Gets Nothing Done” any day of the week.
“Damn!” You are so right! I have been working in the media business for 21 years and mostly am known as the smiling guy that gets things done, but also I am known for being ticked off quickly. This actually only happens when I have to deal with stupid people. I mean, I am patient with people that are not experienced, but I just can’t stand people that believe they know it all and then start to waste my time. I’m writing Y’all today because I was ticked off again and my crappy attitude has made me the bad guy again… I am currently am managing a live production with a French broadcaster. I have tried to set up this deal since mid October, no response – two weeks ago they are back from ‘vacation’ and want to start working. Ok, no prob – let’s step it up! I have organized everything to that point, all they had to do is tell me what they need and how they want to receive the images by satellite or tape. Now, that past two weeks we have been running in circles – decisions are made and changed all the damn time. Ok, I’m a pro, I’m flexible – so I keep helping and changing and re-organizing… etc etc. To make this short: Last night and only one day left to “go live” they want to change everything “back to what I had offered as solution on the first day!” I’m sorry but that ticked me off! I responded with an email “Well, good morning to you all – Could you please make up your mind and let me know!”
This morning I receive an email from their CEO and from mine – I should change my attitude… Seriously, that is all I wrote..
What they have not realized is that “Action Causes Reaction” (My speech!), every time they change something I must adjust and each time this cost money – a lot!
I don’t know, if I do not give them a wake up call now – when will they realize that they are too damn late??
So, welcome to club “Bad Attitude” and have a nice stay!
DJ
I don’t know Larry so I’m going out on a limb here with my following conjecture. I doubt that when he was talking about a “crappy attitude” that he’s necessarily meaning to be rude to people.
At the present job that I’m at, I’m not particularly happy with it. Anybody in private knows that I’m not happy here. However, when I deal with people face to face, I do treat them politely. Do I have a ray of sunshine up my ass? Of course, not. As a matter of fact, I’m slightly wary of people that are cheery all the time because I feel that it’s not natural. Everybody has a bad day and people can have crappy attitudes. I don’t however think that a crappy attitude can lessen a person’s effectiveness unless that attitude also bleeds out into their behavior.
Jose, you are absolutely right. Just because you have a bad day does not mean you can treat people bad. In fact, if your job is service and people based you must stay polite! Good service is good business!
But if you do not like your job or the company you work for – why don’t you change?
I know it sounds easier than it really is, but you have to try.
All the best David.
I wish I could send this bit anonymously to my last boss. A major reason I left that job (second only to the politics) was that 90% of my last review consisted of a laundry list of ways in which I was not a Molly Sunshine.
I thought I was hired for my sharp editing pencil, associated skills, and willingness to go to ridiculous lengths to meet deadlines. Apparently, I was hired to be best friends forever! with the nepotistic hires who refused to work.
Thank god I got out of there.
Love your stuff Larry, but I would argue that your “do your job because that’s what you’re paid for” is a part of your attitude. And I think people DO need to take that on in order to be successful; the rest positive or negative isn’t important. As long as you have the attitude that you’re going to do you job, and you’re going to do it damn well no matter how you personally feel that day.
Thanks Danny – I’ll give that one to you. Your attitude should be to do your job….period.
THANK YOU, LARRY! I am 37 and a new business owner, for the first time. I am not good at confontation and after letting go four employees that have been lazy, stupid and milking the clock I am considering giving your book to all future employees. Mandatory reading before employment. I also realize some of my own mistakes, such as letting their poor work ethic go on for too long without consequences. I recently made a comment to an older employee that “I busted my ass for everyone, because the more they made, the more I made.” She said “Well, I never thought of it that way.” Is it really that big of an epiphany? I’m fed up with employees that have the attitude that they are just there for a paycheck and go home. Thank you for just telling it like it is.
I run a night shift at a business where the vast majority of the employees don’t give a crap and the owner is more concerned with “saving” them than actually getting any work out of them. I’ve weeded down my crew to the people who get the job done right every time, every night, while she insists on running a bunch of crackheads during the days. They dress like slobs, they’re apathetic and sometimes downright rude to customers, and they spend more time squabbling amongst themselves and yakking on the phone than doing any actual work. The latest rescue mission of her’s involves sending a lazy, thieving meth addict to rehab, rather than to the unemployment line where she belongs. Meanwhile she thinks I’m “too hard” on my crew by expecting them to do their job right and not require babysitting every five minutes. Apparently I’m mean and have an attitude problem, though the fact that my crew willingly hangs out with me in their spare time while her’s rob her blind while wrecking her business would suggest otherwise. . I’d give her your book but I doubt she’d take any of it to heart. She doesn’t get that people tend to sink to the lowest level of their environment. Put a lazy, stealing, bad tempered employee in the midst and coddle them, and before you know it all your good employees have turned to crap right along with the original moron. Throw in a boss who would rather be liked than be successful, and I’m amazed this place is still in business. Or maybe not, considering how many other businesses in this area seem to follow the same practice. No one gives a crap any more.
I am a candid person who questions authority and has a bad attitude simply because we live on a prison planet where social justice and equanimity is null. I am supposed to earn money by doing moronic work for a self involved greedy business owner who is borderline psychopathic about their machiavellian leadership.yeah!!!