To be successful in the workplace, one of the most important abilities is that of being able to work well with others. People with winning attitudes all have one common denominator. These winners have mastered the art of dealing with other people to get their desired results.

It’s a known fact that people do business with people they know, like and trust, and
whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur, as humans we strive to gain the
approval of those around us. In his best selling book, How to Win Friends and Influence
People written in 1936, Dale Carnegie outlines simple techniques that are still effective over 75 years later.

Here are ten of Mr. Carnegie’s techniques.

1. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain

2. Give honest and sincere appreciation

3. Become genuinely interested in other people

4. Smile

5. Make the other person feel important- and do it sincerely

6. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves

7. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically

8. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it

9. Give others a fine reputation to look up to.

10. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders

These techniques are built on honor, respect, dignity and courtesy, just a few of the
simple cornerstones that guarantee success in interpersonal relationships. The key to
handling people is not to attempt to change the individual but to change the way you as a
person act and react to them.

Some people have mastered the art of talking, yet fail miserably at the art of doing. Bottom line: They talk a good game. It’s frustrating to work with these individuals as they project a very positive public image but do nothing to back it up. Colleagues dread being paired with them on projects because they know the outcome. These are a few telltale signs you might be stuck working with a talker and not a doer.

Always criticizing. They spend their time criticizing the people and issues at hand, yet fail to
offer a solution or even suggestions to solve the problem. Companies seek out problem-solvers,
not criticizers, and although they may have valid points, their constant negative energy actually
does more harm than good.

Spending more time discussing problem. Sometimes people gain more personal satisfaction
rehashing a problem simply to hear themselves talk. They are only interested in repeating the
facts and emotions of the issue and never really move past that point to a possible resolution.

Having no plan to execute. Talkers consistently talk about what should and could be done,
but they themselves have no plan in place and have no interest in executing the ideas they may
present. They come from the standpoint of “somebody should do this” but that somebody is
never them.

Always seeking an audience. Talkers always have an audience, voluntary or involuntary. They
actively seek out anyone who will listen to them.

Broken promises. They offer many excuses as to why they are not able to accomplish the
tasks requested of them, and each excuse actually sounds legitimate, but the result is always the
same—nothing or little is accomplished. Unfortunately, many also promise too much and leave
many disappointed people.

Riding on others’ coattails. Talkers know how to position themselves on winning teams so,
when the team is successful, they end up getting the credit for work they did not contribute
to. They know how to do just enough to appear as a contributor when, in fact, their efforts are
unproductive.

If your attitude were contagious, what would happen to those who come in contact with you?
Would people die or would they leave feeling rejuvenated and optimistic? The first stone in the
foundation of professional and personal success is a positive attitude.

Unfortunately, in many workplaces across the world, the attitude that we encounter is contagious
but deadly to our sense of self-worth and the quality of work produced. Bad attitudes can damage
customer relations and on occasion it wipes out the dreams of promising young workers.

What determines your attitude? Your attitude is determined by the thoughts and feelings you
meditate on daily. Some may argue that it is determined by the circumstances in your life but that
is false. Life will always bring positive and negative situations. Charles Swindoll says that life
is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. With that in mind, it is fair to say that
the attitude you have now is the result of a decision you made this morning when you woke up.
Some of you decided to smile and say nice things to others because your life circumstances seem
to be in order. Someone else decided to be short tempered and rude because nothing seems to be
going his or her way.

Regardless of how you feel now, it is important to know that true success and maturity is
obtained when you choose not to let your circumstances dictate your behavior. It is also
imperative to understand that it is always your decisions and not your feelings that determine
your attitude.

When you start your day tomorrow, consciously decide to have a positive attitude regardless of
the challenges that face you.

Interviewers are looking for sharp workers who can represent the company or organization well.
You only have one chance to make a great first impression, and that first impression lasts a long
time. Even with this knowledge, many job candidates still fail to make a great first impression
and destroy their chances for a productive business relationship by failing to properly answer the
most common interview questions.

You should have done your homework and found out as much information about the company
and the type of work they perform. Among typical interview questions, there are two that seem
to stump many people.

“Tell me about yourself.”
Many interviewees lose their composure with this question, and the variety of their answers
range from nonsense to silly to mindboggling. Before we explore what you should say, let’s
look at what you should not say. This is not the time, for example, to say something along the
lines of, “Well, my name is Jane Doe, I am graduating in the spring, I live with my parents,
and really want this job.” That is all wrong! First, the interviewer already knows your name.
Second, in an interview, you should never mention your marital situation or your family status.
Use this question as an opportunity to tell the interviewer who you are professionally and sell
them on how your knowledge and experience can help their organization. Sell your skills, your
potential, your enthusiasm. Answer the question as if you are playing a game in which the
person who can sell himself or herself best is the winner that gets the job, not the most qualified
candidate. It’s a game you need to know how to play well.

Another common answer invokes a laundry list of adjectives to describe oneself. That is boring
and does a great disservice to your chances. For example, do not say, “Well, I am hard working,
dependable and prompt, and I work well with people.” Okay, so what is the interviewer to do if

What determines your attitude? Your attitude is determined by the thoughts and feelings you
meditate on daily. Some may argue that it is determined by the circumstances in your life but that
is false. Life will always bring positive and negative situations. Charles Swindoll says that life
is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. With that in mind, it is fair to say that
the attitude you have now is the result of a decision you made this morning when you woke up.
Some of you decided to smile and say nice things to others because your life circumstances seem
to be in order. Someone else decided to be short tempered and rude because nothing seems to be
going his or her way.

Regardless of how you feel now, it is important to know that true success and maturity is
obtained when you choose not to let your circumstances dictate your behavior. It is also
imperative to understand that it is always your decisions and not your feelings that determine
your attitude.

When you start your day tomorrow, consciously decide to have a positive attitude regardless of
the challenges that face you.

By now you know the routine: start of a new year, new resolutions and everyone wants to make
more money and get a promotion. This year, why not focus on the big picture? Instead of setting
a bunch of small goals that will be lost in two weeks, spend this year working on your vision.

What is a vision? According to Random House College dictionary, “a vision is the act or power
of anticipating that which will or may come to be.” In other words, it is the picture you create
(negative or positive) of what you want your life to be.

Why is vision important in the workplace? An employee without vision is like a state-of-the-
art ship sitting on a foggy sea, left to the mercy of the winds and tides. The ship is full of cargo,
and the captain at the helm is too lazy to navigate or doesn’t realize that he/she is in charge.
Workers who are clear on where they are headed are more efficient, productive, coachable, and
will probably go the extra mile because they have drive and that’s what employers want.

Creating your vision. Your vision does not need to be elaborate. It should be a source of
inspiration for you. Write it down so it serves as a daily reminder and make it specific. It should
not only state the end results but it should also state the values you will operate under. This is
critical because if you value respect and healthy relationships as part of your vision, you should
think twice when customers or coworkers do or say things that will cause you to act contrary to
your vision.

Revise it. When you develop your vision, revisit it regularly as your needs change and you grow
into a consummate professional. Don’t just merely write it down and tuck it away— it must
become a part of who you are.

Just about everyone loves superheroes. They swoop in to help the citizens, always seem to know what to do and when to do it, and for that they are celebrated and applauded. Superheroes just continue to show up and outdo themselves each time, and everybody wants to be a superhero because they make things happen. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a legion of superheroes on your team to get the work done? Well, you can, and here’s how.

Set clear expectations. All superheroes know they need to reach out to people in distress
and fix the wrongs, but your employees can only be superheroes if they know what you want.
With a new year kicking off, this is the perfect time to review expectations. Be very clear about
what you require, the results you want and the behaviors that are necessary to make the year a
successful one. Have a discussion with each employee and let them tell you in their own words
what they understand to be the expectations so everyone leaves on the same page and nothing
is left to vague misinterpretation. When expectations change, communicate that immediately to
avoid confusion, mistrust and frustration on your team.

Model the behavior. We all love superheroes because they don’t instruct the citizens of
their city to be good guys; they themselves get in the trenches and perform heroic acts. As a
leader, are you making an effort to ensure that you follow the standards and behaviors you are
expecting? Audit yourself with feedback from your employees. You should be the model for
what is expected, which can be difficult as it is easier to say it than it is to do it.

Show your appreciation immediately. When a hero saves the day, they never have to wait
6 12 months to be appreciated. The response to their deed is swift, positive and it works, so why
do some leaders wait until an employee’s evaluation time to commend a job well done, which
can be weeks or even months away? Make an effort this year to make employee rewards quick
and done publicly as it boosts morale and serves as a benchmark to be achieved.

Take care of the villains. When villains come to town, the superheroes work diligently to get
rid of them and they are usually successful. Your workplace has villains who sabotage your
people and projects in so many small ways, yet in some instances they are given license to
continue because no one says anything. This is where true leaders step in to ensure that the
people who are not productive on a team are addressed. The action, too, has to be swift on the
first offense so the standards are maintained and the issue is not left to fester.

The majority of people who come to work come because they enjoy the work, the people or the
purpose behind the work. They want to feel valued and respected, and the leader who knows
how to nurture and develop these dedicated individuals will feel like he/she has a legion of
superheroes in their arsenal on a daily basis. What do you have—a legion of superheroes or
rogue villains bent on revenge.

At some point every employee has to address an audience formally or informally. With this in mind, overcoming or managing your fear of public speaking will mean having a game plan to help you survive your next speaking engagement. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Manage the butterflies. Imagine a positive outcome, practice your presentation and know that
your audience wants to see you do a good job. Take time before the presentation to calm your
nerves, breathe slowly or take a quick walk. Once you begin, pause if you lose your train of
thought or need to regain your composure.

Know your desired outcome. Your confidence level will increase when you are clear about the
goals you want to accomplish with the audience. Presentations are usually designed to inform,
persuade or teach.

Plan your presentation. Map out your introduction, the body of the speech and the conclusion.
Include details such as how to transition from point to point, when to weave in stories and
examples, and how to strategically use humor. Become very familiar with the presentation so
you are not dependent on the notes.

Right Fit. Make sure your presentation is the right fit for the audience. The best presentation
will be ineffective if it is presented to the wrong audience.

Manage technology. If you decide to use a PowerPoint presentation, print the presentation
ahead of time and make it available to the audience in the event the computer just does not work.

Watch the time. Respect the time frame you are given. Nothing aggravates audiences more
than presenters who take more time than allotted. Read the audience and let them give you the
go-ahead to use more time when possible. Don’t take extra time because you did not finish your
presentation.

Do not read. Do not read your presentation; it’s simply torture for your audience. Make it
interactive and design your delivery so you address the three different types of learners: auditory,
kinesthetic and visual.

Public speaking like any project is manageable if organized correctly. Overcoming the fear has
more to do with elevating the confidence level of the speaker and convincing them that they are
able to do an excellent job.

How do you remain diplomatic when the job you hold has political ties all over it? Politics
and business have always been strange bedfellows, and people in politically appointed pseudo
business positions must learn to walk a very thin line in diplomacy. So how do you accomplish
that when you seem to be a target even before you begin your first day?

Focus on the job. People will always try to push you to take sides. Always go back to the
purpose of the position you hold and emphasize the goals you are trying to accomplish. It’s not
about you and where you stand politically–it’s about the task you have at hand to carry out.

Do not flaunt your political support. A surefire way to antagonize any opposing fractions is to
use your job to flaunt your political support. Even if your job is appointed, keep your personal
political activities separate. The fact that you were appointed is an indication to many of where
you stand politically whether that’s true or not.

Reach out to the other side. As much as possible, reach out to a cross-section of people so you
garner support for your project or cause. You have no control over who will accept the offer but
making the effort, even if it is fiercely rejected, is a start. Know the objection is against what
you stand for and not necessarily against you personally, and continue making those offers to
engage all those who are affected by your decisions when possible.

Decide not to get sucked into political fights. Efforts will be made to engage and distract you
to get wrapped up in discussions and arguments that bear no weight on your job performance.
Graciously change the topic or walk away from such discussions as they can only be destructive.

Document everything. Keep track of what you have accomplished and your process. Not many
people can argue with a track record that is well documented.

Get a sense of humor. Humor can be an ice breaker so use it to your advantage instead of
taking everything so seriously.

Be relentless. As you push to be a way maker, those that oppose you are waiting for you to get
tired and give up. If you truly believe in the project, cause or service, then you must make up
your mind to complete the task.

We’ve all had one at some point. It seems they were only put on the face of the earth to make our working experience pure agony. They are critical, inflexible, intimidating, constantly asking for more out of you, seldom offering a compliment or praising you for a job well done no matter how hard you worked, and it seems like ice water runs through their veins as they appear to be void of human emotions.

Not all bosses deserve the title of “mean.” In fact, many employees with little or no work ethic
and a very laissez-faire attitude toward work may want to call their bosses mean just because
they are asked to work. Those are not the bosses we are referring to.

It’s not easy to work with someone who is intolerable but it is not always impossible.
Someone may exhibit “mean” tendencies because it is the only way they know how to manage/
supervise. People learn by example, so if they have only had “mean bosses” themselves, chances
are they will imitate this same behavioral pattern as that is the only way they know how to get

Document everything. Keep track of what you have accomplished and your process. Not many
people can argue with a track record that is well documented.

Get a sense of humor. Humor can be an ice breaker so use it to your advantage instead of
taking everything so seriously.

Be relentless. As you push to be a way maker, those that oppose you are waiting for you to get
tired and give up. If you truly believe in the project, cause or service, then you must make up
your mind to complete the task.

Your attitude at work helps to craft your reputation, and a good work attitude goes beyond being
a pleasant, smiling person. Sometimes it’s the things that appear insignificant that can deal a
terrible blow to your career. Here are a few that could be wrecking your career.

Time Stealers

If you are the kind of employee who barely makes it into work on time or you have excuses for
why you are late, your work attitude is suffering. Your tardiness, no matter what the reason, is
wearing out the patience of your coworkers who are left to pick up the slack when you are not on
time. The same applies if you take a few extra minutes for lunch or if you are the first one out the
door at the end of the day. There are some people who habitually shave time off their workday at
every moment and expect that no one will notice or find fault with such behavior. Give an honest
day’s work for an honest day’s pay.

Complainers

There are some people who just never have anything good to say. They constantly complain
about the boss, the customers, their coworkers and even if the phone rings. They seem bothered
by everything except when it’s time to collect the paycheck. The workplace is not the place
to gripe. Good jobs are difficult to find so when you have one, count your blessings. Your
complaining attitude makes it nearly impossible for you to be promoted.

Rigid People

In order to stay relevant, profitable and meet their goals, all organizations must change.
Unfortunately, when the word “change” is mentioned, too many people panic. This is especially
true if an employee spends years being the only one who knows how to perform a particular job.
They have developed a reputation for being good and some even use this status to bully others.
The job and the responsibilities give them a sense of importance and relevance to society. People
fear change when they are concerned they might lose their jobs, lose the status they have in a
business or are asked to go outside their comfort zone to learn something new. This resistance
to change is also a reflection of your attitude, regardless of the reason. Instead of being afraid,
carefully examine what is being asked of you and devise a plan to manage the change process.