February 21, 2008

Are You A Whiner?

I guess we have all been guilty of letting off some steam and complaining about the workplace, coworkers or management. Whining about the latest HR policy or the reduction in yearly bonus amounts - we all vent on occasion. Some level of criticality is fine – but are you habitually whining? Whining about something, anything – everyday!

Negative – bad, positive – good
Negativity is a constricting state of mind. When you say it can’t be done - you have limited, or almost eliminated all options to make it happen. That is the power of negativity.

Conversely positive thinkers make it happen. Optimistic folks make it happen by exploring options and choices. And if you can make it happen – you will go places. So remember – positivity is good for you and a cheerful demeanor is the way to go.

Walk the walk
Talk is cheap.What makes a difference is action. Positive action! If you are unhappy with your coworkers, management or HR policies – do something constructive about it. Fix the problem and win kudos from your peers and establish yourself as a problem solver.

Reputation
Word travels fast in the corporate world. When you become a whiner – believe me, your reputation will usually precede you. Arriving with a title of whiner will not augur well for your career prospects. Whiner also connotes – uncooperative, negative, conceited, unhappy and disengaged. You will be better off not being associated with these adjectives.

Living Life
If you are spending a substantial portion of your life being negative about work, guess what? That negativity will spill over in the rest of your life too. Thinking negative, talking negative and associating with negative people will create more negativity in your life than you want. You create what is your reality and it all starts with a thought. And what you think is a choice so think positive and change your life – for the better.

If you like this post - subscribe via full RSS feed or get updates via email

1 comment:

Jack Payne said...

So much negativity, these days, is connected to constant complaints about outsourcing. I wonder why we hear so little about that great counterbalance: insourcing.