I have recently been doing some training with a city council – working with senior staff and running some short master classes. The sessions are fast moving and very interactive. They work with small groups and so far, having delivered 15 courses it amazes me the difference the same course can be, depending on whether the attendees have a positive or a negative attitude. Now none of these courses are obligatory so anyone attending is doing so because they have elected to be there. Yet one negative person can have such a detrimental effect on the rest of the group and the dynamic of the course. Fortunatly most people have a positive attitude but some bring an agenda with them and can actively search for the reasons a new approach won’t work.
Now I have no problem with people disagreeing with me, infact I really enjoy that banter but I think constantly negative people lack the self awareness to see the impact they have on others – or maybe they just dont care! As I often remind clients, we chose the mood we bring with us – no matter what is going on outside of what – we still have a choice so why not chose a positive attitude?
I learned a great skill when I was doing my coaching training “Act as if….” Quite simply, no matter how you feel, if you ‘act as if’ you are positive then you will get positive energy back from others and before you know it, you are no longer acting as if you are positive but instead feeling positive. Try it……
If negative people could objectively see the impact they have on others, I wonder if they would make a conscious effort to change?