They say that nothing travels faster than bad news. It’s certainly not hard to see that dynamic in action today. There seems to be nothing but bad news all around us. Everywhere you turn the message is grim. While the economic meltdown is real, I believe that negative communications are only adding fuel to the funeral pyre.
Leaders have a great opportunity today to positively charge the communications environment and focus their team on what’s possible instead of what’s not. And, attitude is the key ingredient needed to positively charge your communications. Chris Amorosino, a terrific writer we use from time to time, posed it this way in a recent OpEd piece entitled “What’s in Your ________?”
Business would be great if it wasn’t for this darn ______. Last year, when the ______ started to plummet, my company immediately felt the impact. In all my years in business, I’ve never seen such a poor ________. This severe slump is plaguing the country.
“Well, I’m springing into action. I’m taking on the ______. People don’t believe me when I say that we all can change the ________. Refuse to participate in the doom and gloom. Go out and do something positive. When enough of us do, businesses and people will thrive again.”
So what have you got in the blank? Did you put the word “economy” in your blank? Mine is filled with the word, “attitude.”
So, instead of focusing on the ominous gray cloud of negativity “Sales are down, really down!” find the silver lining in a positive attitude “Sales are down but we have the abilities and the team to turn this around.” (BTW, it’s recommended that you back up that statement with a clear plan of action or at least a synopsis of the team’s skills & talents.) After all, people won’t rally as strongly behind the problem as they will the solution.
Employees need a positive outlook. They are more likely to reach their goals if they see the light at the end of the tunnel as better times as opposed to an oncoming train. Managers and leaders can foster that positive outlook through their words and communications.
Every gray cloud does have a silver lining. Find yours.
