Maintaining Positivity When Work Sucks

You don’t have to love your company. But, you have to love your people.

I had become fed up with my company. The decisions made at higher levels and the cultural shift which ensued as a result had removed the joy out of my job. It felt as if each decision made by upper management made my job harder. These decisions affected not only my work life but my home life as well. Each day at work became a test of my will—and I admit I was losing that test daily.

In this situation, I had been switched to manage a whole new team—again. Unfortunately, this team didn’t get my best. They didn’t have Dave Anderson, they had “Eeyore” the self-absorbed, grumbling manager. My attitude was terrible. I’m not sure if they knew it, but I knew I was simply going through the motions. I had no passion for what I was doing, and I blamed my company.

My wife knew I was unhappy. Many of my peers knew it as well. Unfortunately for everyone around me, I held onto this negative outlook for a year and a half. What changed it? Accountability from a friend. He pulled me aside one day and asked me:

“What are you doing Dave? You’ve become just like the people you used to criticize. You’re hard to be around because you are negative all the time. This is not you!”

In that moment, I knew I needed to change. I didn’t have to love my company but I needed to love my people. It was my Duty to give them my best every single day—despite my circumstances. I had gotten in the habit of choosing a negative attitude, but I needed to begin to make a different choice.