Unbelievably, we are at the end of another year. This is my last article before I turn the reins back to Dennis for his year of contributing the feature article. (We take turns. What a team!) It will come as no surprise to you that my last characteristic of an A-One Team Player is…..drum roll…..a POSITIVE ATTITUDE! Tada! A great speaker I know quite well, Dennis Mannering, coined a phrase that rings so true, "Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?" As most of you know, this is the title of our book which, with the next order, will top 100,000 books in print. The question is, "Why has it sold so well? With no help from major print houses or distributors, the book has still sold a great deal more than most books in its genre. There is something about that title that tweaks the imagination of many people who see it, pick it up and say, "I need to read this, my employees need to read this, my children need to read this, my spouse needs to read this and on and on.

My belief is that we all instinctively know how critical the attitude of each team member is to the overall success of our teams – whether it's a family team, business team or volunteer team. A negative attitude is a cancer to any team. I'd like to share a story with you as a case in point. Not too long ago, we received a call from a well-known facility management group in the Midwest. The manager who called was desperate to bring us in to speak with their work team about the importance of attitude and how it can impact a team. We talked about dates in the near future and it seemed as though it was a "done deal." About a week later, a call came in from this same manager. She told me they weren't going to do the program after all. Of course, I was shocked and asked her why there had been a change in plans. She replied, "Oh, the one person who was dragging the whole team down, creating a negative atmosphere in our workplace, just quit. So, we don't need you anymore." I suggested that if one person could have that major of a negative impact on the group, perhaps they still needed the training so that they would be able to handle a similar situation should it arise. She didn't agree. Aside from the management issues involved here, this dramatically illustrates the power one negative person can have on a team, if the team is not fully aware of how to deal with this type of person.

Though it is a "soft topic" in training vernacular, developing a positive attitude and effectively dealing with those who have negative attitudes are critical skills. If you want to be an A-One Team Player, you'll want to take an "attitude inventory." As you open the door to your place of employment, ask yourself this critical question, "If everyone who works here has my attitude today, will this be a great place to work today...or not?" You do have the power to choose your attitudes. Choose wisely and you will be an A-One Team Player.