Page 67 - Becoming a Successful Manager

58 ESTABLISHING A SOLID DEPARTMENTAL FOUNDATION

Conversely, if you chose a positive attitude, you would feel
better about going because you would tell yourself, “I am not sure
this is the best use of my time, but as long as I have to go, I will
see if I can learn something I might have missed out on had I not
been invited.”
In all likelihood, whichever attitude you chose would result
in your prediction coming true. This phenomenon is called the
self-fulfi lling prophecy. When we have a strong belief about the
outcome of a relationship or an impending experience, we do
everything in our power to make that belief come true.
It would not be an overstatement to say that our attitudes are
responsible for creating, and even perpetuating, our joys and sor-
rows, our good and bad times, our successes and failures, and the
quality of our relationships.
Since attitudes are powerful keys to your success as a manager,
this chapter explains the nature of attitudes and how you can use
positive attitudes to create a fertile departmental culture.

The Three Key Elements of Attitudes

The fi rst element of attitude is what you tell yourself. As an activity,
talking to yourself is neither good nor bad. We all do it. However,
what you tell yourself can determine whether the consequences of
your self-talk will be productive or destructive.
The effect of self-talk on behavior is evident every day of our
lives, both at work and at home. The good news about self-talk is
that you can hear it and then compare it with what you really want
from a given situation or relationship.
The second element of attitude involves having a clear idea
in your mind of what you want or need. When you are conscious
about what you want from a person, situation, or relationship, you
can control what you tell yourself. Often what you tell yourself ini-