This week has been my most testing time in my new job.
I have been optimistic and upbeat since starting, but this is the first week where I seem to have been fighting the forces of negativity from all sides.
With people leaving, going on holiday or being off sick, things look light on the ground.
From chaos I cannot help but see opportunity. I relish the chance for a ‘battlefield promotions’ – If the Sergeant gets his head blown off, then congratulations Private – you’re the new Sergeant.
I view this as a perfect opportunity to establish myself even further and move me one step closer to achieving my goal of promotion.
But the negativity…
But to has been difficult dealing with negative people. I have viewed this as an opportunity to lead from the front and in my defense I have been pulling out the big guns of positive thinking to fight off negativity:
Humour
Confidence
Optimism
Determination
It is not working so far and I find my own defence faltering – despite all that optimism, I feel the cracks – those doubting thoughts where I don’t feel as sure as I did earlier in the week.
I am a firm believer in positive and negative energy and how it can spill over. I don’t want negative people to contaminate me – I have been there, done that with stress and depression and I will not go back there.
How I will address the problem
Move away from the negative:
I suddenly find myself thinking negatively as I get submerged with the doubters. “This job is crap”, “I’m just being used” have been common thoughts.
To solve this, I will move away from the negative people, I will keep my hand in and help out and show what a resilient worker I am, but I refuse to let it kill off my dreams to develop in other areas. I will continue to offer support to those I want to work with.
Don’t engage the negative:
I admit, I see karma in a collegue who has been rude to me getting bitten in the arse for their arrogrance. And in a way I have enjoyed putting the boot in while they are down.
But that is not right, I am better than that. Next time I want to engage the negative I will think “I have won, leave them alone”
Change the topic
Instead of dwelling on work and the difficult task we are supposed to cover, I will change to lighter topics – relationships, fitness, films, even the weather if it cuts out the bitching….
Talk to positive people
In my post I was assigned a mentor and there are people who like me and want me to be successful and there are people who believe that problems are solved by taking action and not by bitching. I will talk to them more.
I will recite positive thoughts
Deep down this is not that bad. When things go wrong no one dies, at worst peoples egos get bruised. But they will recover and life will go on. I will remind myself of this everytime I hear something negative.
Solution, Solution, Solution
I don’t dwell on problems for too long as that can be time spent finding a solution. Yes people may be busy, so how can I help? I will listen to concerns, share my knowlege and support. I am the solution to making others lives better!
Praise the positive
One of my weaknesses is that I am in my own little word of self-improvement that I forget about other people. It has been awesome the last three months in my new job, this is partly because of all the nice comments and feedback I have received.
It is time I reciprocated some comments.
Show them the positive
I have to endure many negative thoughts, mostly ‘woe is me’ stories about the position they have been forced in. I will show them the bigger picture – the respect they will get for pulling off the job with little experience, or the potential to move onto bigger things soon.
But if all else fails
I am going to weather the storm, I have worked in jobs where I was constantly surrounded with staff off with stress or moving to new jobs because they could not handle the pressure. Where I am working knows nothing of pressure in comparison! I am already benefiting from sickness to step up and prove myself – hopefully this will lead somewhere and if I find that I am working under someone else who struggles, I will step up again to advance even further than I aspired towards.
So for now keep positive.
James
ehttp://humanresources.about.com/od/conflictresolution/a/negative_worker.htm
Perfect Manifesto 