Study: Bad attitude may be really bad for your bank account
There's growing evidence a bad attitude may be really bad for your career. It’s no surprise to Grow Counseling psychologist Wendy Dickinson.
“I think attitude is really important because so much of what we do in our careers is influenced about what we believe about ourselves, what we believe about other people, and what we believe about the world,” said Dr. Dickinson.
New research published by the American Psychological Association, shows cynicism - or having a negative attitude - can have a toxic effect on a person's earnings.
"I think part of the problem of cynicism in the workplace is nobody wants to work with someone who is negative and difficult. And a lot of work that we do is team based," said Dr. Dickinson.
One German study of 16,000 workers found those who reported lower levels of cynicism on the job - earned about $300 more every month than their more cynical coworkers.
“I think cynicism can impact your level of productivity, in your relations with your coworker, and your boss. Cynicism will show up in your evaluations, and evaluations ultimately lead to pay increases," she added.
And, Dickinson said what you look for, you find.
"So if you're looking for solutions, you're looking for positivity, you're looking for growth and efficiency; you're most likely going to find that."
It is possible to change your attitude. The psychologist suggests you start by looking at how you approach a problem.
"A pessimist may focus primarily on the problem. What's wrong? What's broken? Who broke it? The optimist may be more likely to focus on ‘hey, we have this problem, how are we going to fix it?’ They're going to be more future focused. They're going to expect that there is a solution to be found, they just haven't found it yet."
Also, Dickinson said if you're prone to being negative; try talking to your more positive co-workers. Ask them how they approach problems.