You’re sitting at your desk, reading your email, and you open the latest missive from your boss. Once again, the airhead has devised a new direction for his company. You clear your throat and ask the person next to you “Have you seen what the idiot has sent us now?”. In the cafeteria you sit with your co-workers grossed out by how stupid this company is. But this is not just happening today. Every day you find yourself at odds with management. And while you’ve always been a “good soldier” and done exactly what was asked of you, you can’t help but let your feelings be known.
Or maybe you’re the quieter type. Sighing, rolling your eyes, and simply showing through your body language that you’re being deceived a lot.
You may think that if you are really good at your job and do everything that is asked of you, you will still be, in the eyes of your employer, a valuable member of the team.
However, in these times of cutbacks, more and more employers are considering the “grump factor.” Simply put, the grumpy factor is a measure of how difficult an employee is to deal with. How moody you are.
A Fortune 500 company recently had to cut its workforce by 20%. The management thing, the people who were going to be fired. Every employee was a hard worker, in fact some of them were the best at what they did. Did each employee try to find out why THEY were chosen? What was the reason that the most incompetent employees were left standing while they were fired? Was it that they made more money? Was it a personal vendetta against them? Was it sexism or ageism? Each employee did not see where the fault lay. That he was at his very feet. In a discussion with management, they stated that they used the “grumpy factor”. Employees who had a bad attitude were considered expendable.
Obviously, when it comes time to downsize, many factors are taken into account. But more and more employers want to work with people who are easy to deal with. Employees who love what they do and show others that they love it. I’m not talking about a cloying sweet fake attitude, I mean a sincere joy.
When young people ask Barbara Walters “What do I have to do to get ahead?”
She tells them, “Don’t complain, don’t complain. Just get so good you can’t let go. And don’t be afraid to order the coffee if they ask you to.”
If you’re not sure if you’re perceived as grumpy, try this simple test.
Do you find yourself too easily identifying problems with your company and/or co-workers?
Do you share that information with others? (including family, friends, co-workers)
Do you dismiss possible solutions as impracticable?
Is your criticism a validation of your general perspective?
Do you often hear others with similar complaints?
Do you listen attentively to their complaints?
Do you sigh, roll your eyes, or show your negative feelings using body language or tone of voice?
Are you creating less because of your dislike?
Are you late for work or meetings?
Do you feel helping others finish their work?
Are you waiting for a change to happen?
Has anyone pointed out your negative behavior?
Do you have “good reasons” for feeling unhappy at work?
If you answered yes to more than 3 of these questions, you may be a grump. I can guarantee that you will limit your growth unless you work to change your attitude.
Today, look at the three things you like most about your job. Try and focus on the good. Let others see and hear your positive comments. Start turning it around today.
