The Coaching Role: Inspiring and Motivating3
Thoughts cause feelings and feelings cause behavior. There are
only two options here.
- Keep thinking those negative thoughts.
Wake up in the morning or drive to work thinking,
“another day, what problems now, I can’t believe these
people,” letting the thoughts roll over and over in your
mind. It pulls you down. Negative thoughts = negative
attitudes. Allow this thought process to continue and
everything is colored by the negative lens through which
your mind views the day. The drive to work is chaos. It
seems that all you encounter at work is bad news. Even
the good news isn’t as good as it could be. Unless
something happens to jar you out of this negative mindset
(i.e., you win the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes),
your day will end no better than it started — and the next
morning it will pick up where it left off! Worse, it spills
over to the team. An affirmation would sound more like a
grudging comment.
Cherie Carter-Scott, author and coach, labeled
“negaholism” a constant state of negativity. One reason
for this ailment is habit, simply allowing yourself to float
into negativity. Negative attitude and improved
performance just don’t equate. - Think of the things you look forward to about
your day.
A second choice is to focus on the positives. This rarely
happens automatically — at first. Positive thoughts have
to be a conscious choice.
This is a skill important to have and to teach your people.
Some ideas to help you include the following:- Make a list of all the things you like about your work.
It may start slowly but one or two positives will
multiply as you ponder. The list can act as your 80–20
guide. Keep your attention on the 80 percent of the
job that you find positive. - Psycho-cybernetics, taught by author Bobbe Sommer,
suggests a technique called cancel, cancel. Whenever
- Make a list of all the things you like about your work.
Worry is interest
paid on trouble
before it is due.Thoughts cause
feelings and
feelings cause
behavior.