7/28/2019 Your Attitude

1/3

Your Attitude Determines Career Altitude

Did you know that today there are more incredible career opportunities than there are people seeking them. I submitthat skill level or a good resume isnt always your biggest challenge, but what is the impediment is attitude, firstimpression and confidence.

Ever hear the saying, It is your attitude, not your aptitude that will determine your altitude in life. When a personwalks into a room, before they even open their mouth, you notice their attitude and formulate an opinion. In factstudies show that the majority of our communication is non-verbal and only a small percentage of our communication is through the spoken word. Research tells us that 55% is communicated visually, 38% vocally(tone, pitch, volume) and only 7% verbally. Interviewers will form an opinion of you before you even say hello!People (and interviewers) will always see you before they hear you.

To illustrate the importance of attitude and impression, the very first thing I do when I conduct one of my career seminars is to illustrate the importance of attitude and non verbal communication. I typically select the most bored,inattentive member of the audience and ask them to join me in front of the room as a volunteer. I ask them toimagine a person they have met who was bored, depressed, angry, possibly out of work and lacking purpose and

passion. I then request that they walk the length of the room with the body language and posture that this personexhibited. In essence, imitate the behavior of a person who was unhappy. They tend to be overly dramatic with slow

pace, slouched shoulders, frown, head down, etc. I then ask the audience to describe their observations which alwaysconform that this behavior signified a person who was down on their luck; a poor attitude.

After itemizing all the non-verbal attributes of an unfulfilled person, I then ask the same volunteer to suddenlychange their demeanor and act and walk like a person who is enjoying a passionate career, a person who has attainedsome financial independence and is experiencing success. Suddenly, my volunteer transforms from a shrinkingviolet to a bold, confident individual who strolls across the room in a faster pace, head high and with a confidentwave to his fellow audience members! The crowd is hysterical and hoots and hollers at this newfoundtransformation. Keep in mind that not a single word had been spoken; perceptions were formed strictly on non-verbal behavior. The exercise serves to help participants understand the importance on how you conduct yourself and what your body language communicates to the world. The bored, tired, disinterested audience is now at raptattention, anxious to see what is next!

The lesson here is that when you meet a person for the first time, whether it is a new customer, potential new business partner or an interviewer, people formulate a powerful first impression of you within the first 12-30seconds . This is typically before you have even spoken your first word! We judge people on their physical posture;appearance and general demeanor right from the get go! You can tell a great deal about attitude (especially

professional interviewers who literally interact with hundreds of candidates) from a first impression. And attitudeultimately determines success. Attitude is often synonymous with self esteem. If you have high self esteem it willshow in the way you carry yourself and conversely, low self esteem can easily be detected by your body language.

Your thoughts and feelings can shape your attitude. Your attitude determines your actions. Your actions result inwhat you actually achieve. Its all a big chain reaction. We often hear of someone having a good attitude or abad attitude, and as you would expect, good or bad things usually (though not always) are the result.

Just as harmful is a neutral attitude. Someone with a neutral attitude goes with the flow, is not particularly motivatedor extremely happy with his/her life, but is not miserable either. What is wrong with that? Lets take a closer look atwhat happens to those workers with neutral attitudes. Answer: Not much of anything!

They tend to stay in the same job, even if it makes them unhappy or no longer meets their needs They have difficulty making new friends or starting new relationships. They dont learn and grow and become stagnant They dont grab opportunities and run with them

Is that how you want to describe your career or life?

To assist you, let me ask you a few questions Who are you really and how much do you like yourself? Were youaware that how much you respect and like yourself defines your self-esteem? In fact, your exterior world is a mirror

7/28/2019 Your Attitude

2/3

of your interior thoughts, emotions and beliefs. I call this your mental fitness and like physical fitness, it requiresconsistent training to improve. You must learn to nourish your spirit and feed your mind with optimism, much likeyou nourish the body with healthy foods and vitamins. If you eat healthy and exercise, you become vibrant,energetic and alive! When you focus on goals, outcomes, solutions and formulate a visualize picture of your optimalself, it is as if you injected happiness serum into your veins!

If you eat junk food, you might eventually develop high blood pressure, clog your arteries, experience low stamina,have increased body fat and generally feel lousy. If you dwell on problems, debt, marital issues, world tension, youwill soon become an unhappy person and push people away.

Next time you are in a crowded place, do some people watching and observe which individuals are passionate andhappy and which are moping from task to taskWhich person are you? Is there bounce in your step or does your

body language suggest apathy or boredom?

You can improve your body language and overall demeanor simply by training your mind to focus on the positiveaspects of your life. Walk with good posture and your head high! Discipline yourself to focus on the outcomes youseek and the positive steps required to achieve each new success. Make a commitment to reject negative thoughts,eliminate make excuses or assigning blame to anyone but yourself. Be accountable! Replace fear, worry,

procrastination and doubt with optimism, upbeat, happy thoughts and emotions and like the impact of eliminatingfat, sugar and salt from your physical diet, you will observe a change. This powerful combination of taking personalresponsibility for your performance coupled with a clear vision and purpose provides a solid foundation to achieveexcellence and balance. Attitude counts!

The Attitude Test

What to Do Answer the following questions by circling Yes or No to the right.

1. Do I try to get other people to do things for me rather than do themmyself? Yes No

2. Do I care about being on time? Yes No

3. Do I try to get by with as little work as possible? Yes No

4. Do I think good manners are for other people? Yes No5. Am I an 8-hour worker who resents being asked to stay even for an extra

few minutes? Yes No

6. Do I leave my personal belongings on the floor and expect someone else to pick them up? Yes No

7. Do I care only about me and forget about everyone else? Yes No

8. Do I always make excuses for things I havent done? Yes No

9. Do I litter when no one is looking? Yes No

10. Do I gossip about others, telling things I shouldnt? Yes No

11. Do I care only about the glory jobs and let everyone else do the dirty jobs? Yes No

12. Does it seem that people are always criticizing me for something? Yes No

7/28/2019 Your Attitude

3/3

13. Do I dislike my family because they tell me what to do, how I should act,

etc.? Yes No

14. I, at times, tease and bully people just for the fun of it or to get themangry? Yes No

15. Do I blame fate, or the system, or anyone else for my current position inlife? Yes No

What do your answers say about your overall attitude? Do you think you have a good or bad attitude? How can youchange the way you see things and the way you react to different situations to become a more positive person?Remember, your attitude will determine your career success!

Christopher Kuselias is a nationally recognized career expert whose latest book, Thank God Its Monday! - A Guide to

Finding Your Career Calling, will hit bookstores this fall. Chris can be reached at chris@christopherkuselias.com or

through his Public Relations Manager Joy Berg at 203-407-8800.

mailto:chris@christopherkuselias.commailto:chris@christopherkuselias.com