Positive to Negative Ratio
Are you mostly positive, mostly negative, or somewhere in between? How we answer this question says a lot about our self-perception. But do others perceive us the way we think ourselves to be?
One way to find out is to examine the interactions we have with other people on a day-to-day basis. Think about every person you talked to yesterday. Of those conversations, how many were positive? How many were negative? Do your co-workers and team members see you as a positive person?
Author and leadership guru Ken Blanchard notes that for a manager to be perceived as a positive manager, their positive interactions must far outweigh their negative interactions.
Leaders are tasked with many rigid, bottom line expectations that they must execute along with their teams. Sometimes, these “do or die” requirements can lead to negative interactions. Stress, deadlines, and ever-increasing quotas often bring out the worst. The daily grind isn’t likely to change, so what can leaders do to move from negative to positive?
Positive interactions can be planned. Make it a point to show genuine appreciation to your team members on a regular basis. Build team chemistry by connecting on a personally, not just professionally. Show authentically positive intentions by making time to recognize team members. Build trust by balancing expectation with appreciation.
Maintaining a positive ratio might not be easy or comfortable at first, but it will become more natural with consistent effort. Take time to examine negative interactions and look for ways that they could have been positive. Apply that insight to future interactions while intentionally creating more opportunities for positive interactions. Continue to evaluate interactions, even after you feel like you’ve reached the right positive to negative ratio. Ask others to evaluate your interactions as well. This will create accountability and provide valuable insight from an outside perspective, while building trust with the people you invite to speak into your positive to negative ratio journey.
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