Chapter Six Attitudes Can Shape Your Life

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 2 Chapter Preview: Attitudes Can Shape Your Life Impact of attitudes on success of individuals and organizations Ways people acquire attitudes Attitudes that employers value How to change your own or others' attitudes How to help others change attitudes Organizational efforts to develop positive employee attitudes

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 3 What Is an Attitude? A thought, accepted as true, that leads one to think, feel or act positively or negatively toward a person, idea or event An emotional readiness to behave in a particular way You learn them and can change them

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 4 Aspects of Attitudes Values serve as a foundation for attitudes Attitudes motivate to respond You have freedom to choose your response

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 5 Figure The Relationship Among Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 6 Root Causes of Negative Attitudes Low self-esteem Unresolved conflict Work that is not satisfying Fear or uncertainly

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 7 Total Person Insight The biggest career challenges these days are perceptual…psychological. Not technical. Not even skills-based. The major adjustments we need to make are mental. For example, how we frame things at work. The way we process events in our head. Our attitudes and outlook about how our jobs and organizations now have to operate. Price Pritchett Chairman, EPS Solutions

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 8 The Powerful Influence of Attitudes People with positive attitudes are more likely to achieve personal and professional goals People with negative attitudes find it difficult to achieve contentment or satisfaction in life Attitudes are a powerful force in any organization

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 9 The Age of Information Mandates Attitude Changes As the information age unfolded, advanced technology was not enough to retain clients and customers Competitive advantage is superior customer service provided by well-trained employees with effective interpersonal skills Empathizers have the ability to imagine and feel themselves in someone else’s position Leadership is about empathy

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 10 How Attitudes Are Formed Socialization Peer and reference groups Rewards and punishment Role model identification Cultural influences

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 11 Socialization Process through which people are integrated into a society by exposure to actions and opinions of others Family is important in early years

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 12 Peer Groups People one’s own age Have powerful influence on attitude during adolescence possibly stronger than parents, teachers or other adults Reference Groups Several people who share a common interest and tend to influence behavior Point of comparison and source of information

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 13 Rewards and Punishment Attitudes developed to minimize punishment and maximize rewards Organizations use these to encourage or discourage certain attitudes

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 14 Role Model Identification A role model is someone that you admire or are likely to emulate Can exert considerable influence Supervisors are important Organizations should pay more attention to what supervisors do than what they say!

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 15 Cultural Influences Total of knowledge, beliefs, values, and customs that we use to adapt to our environment People define themselves differently in different cultures Includes both tangible and intangible Organizations should strive to create positive corporate culture

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 16 Attitudes Valued by Employers Attitudes sought by employers –Self-motivation –Openness to change –Team spirit –Health consciousness –Appreciation of coworker diversity –Honesty

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 17 How to Change Attitudes Attitudes are hard to change Knowing how to change attitudes in yourself and others can be essential to effective interpersonal relations

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 18 Changing Your Own Attitude Attitudes that help achieve positive results: –Choose happiness –Embrace optimism –Think for yourself –Keep an open mind

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 19 Total Person Insight We don’t need more money, we don’t need greater success or fame, we don’t need the perfect body or even the perfect mate—right now, at this very moment, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler Coauthors, The Art of Happiness

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 20 Choose Happiness Happiness is the state of mind that permits us to live life enthusiastically Happy peopleUnhappy people –more sociable– self-focused –flexible– socially withdrawn –creative– antagonistic Energy builder and key to overcoming adversity and reaching goals Perceptions of situation are critical

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 21 Embrace Optimism Optimistic thoughts give rise to good moods, which help develop positive attitudes Optimists are more likely to bounce back after a disappointment Focus on success rather than failure Avoid pessimism which leads to cynicism

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 22 Think for Yourself Need for acceptance by group can lead to “group think” Two groups in the workplace –Personal relationships –Professional relationship Overlap can cause confusion Evaluate situations based on your values!

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 23 Keep an Open Mind Our attitudes may persist in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary Learn to consider other points of view and gently question your beliefs Expose yourself to experiences and information beyond what you have been socialized to believe

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 24 Helping Others Change Attitudes Change the conditions that precede the behavior Change the consequences that follow when the person exhibits the behavior

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 25 Figure Serenity Prayer,Source: “Serenity Prayer”by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 26 Follow This Simple Rule When experience is followed by positive consequence, person is likely to repeat behavior When followed by a negative consequence, behavior should soon stop An attitude is someone’s thought process

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 27 Organizational Efforts Organizations realize employees’ attitudes and performance cannot be separated Salaries and benefits traditional rewards Today, workers want –Respect –Interesting work –Recognition –Skill development Workers expect competitive pay

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 28 Organizational Efforts Maintenance of positive attitudes helps productivity Provide benefits that workers consider important Find creative ways to influence worker attitudes “Choose one’s attitude”

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 29 Chapter Review Impact of attitudes on success of individuals and organizations –Attitudes are a powerful force in organizations –Attitudes and performance cannot be separated –Positive attitudes toward work and coworkers improves teamwork and productivity –A caring attitude leads to a high degree of customer loyalty and repeat business –A serious safety attitude decreases accidents

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 30 Chapter Review Ways people acquire attitudes –People acquire attitudes through Early childhood socialization Peer and reference groups Rewards and punishments Role model identification Cultural influences –Attitudes are not set in stone –You have power to choose attitudes

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 31 Chapter Review Attitudes that employers value –Employers hire and attempt to retain employees who Have interpersonal skills Are self motivated Accept change Are team players Are concerned about health Value coworkers diversity Are honest

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 32 Chapter Review How to change attitudes –You can decide to change your attitude by Choosing to be happy Becoming an optimist Thinking for yourself Keeping an open mind –Learn how to help others change their attitudes

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 33 Chapter Review How to help others change attitudes –Alter the conditions that exist before the potential negative behaviors Provide effective training –Alter the consequences following a person’s behavior Provide positive consequences

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 34 Chapter Review Organizational efforts to develop positive employee attitudes –Money alone is not enough –Enhance the quality of work life