It’s interesting to compare workplace environments. As a consultant, I’ve had the rare opportunity to visit hundreds of different organizations over the years. Although every location has its own personality, most workplaces fall into one of two categories: positive or negative. You can usually detect it when you walk through the door. There’s either a “can-do” or “can’t-do” attitude that prevails among the employees from top leadership to frontline employees.

You can feel it in the air.

You can hear it in conversations.

You can see it in facial expressions and body language.

You can measure it in productivity.

It can be observed in the way that problems are dealt with and challenges are faced.

Every day, for every employee, there are opportunities to grow, progress, and add value to the organization. The choice is ours. We develop the culture in which we will thrive or fall by the wayside as others prosper. Hopefully, leadership is active in creating the positive culture needed in today’s challenging, competitive, and ever-changing workplace. However, everyone must be involved in making it successful. Every employee must be tuned in to possibilities to grow, prosper, and maintain a thriving culture that will insure future success for everyone involved.

That much needed tuned-in attitude can be better understood through this age-old Generational Gem:

Years ago, an American shoe company sent two salesmen to the Australian outback. They wanted to find out whether there was a market for shoes among the Aborigines. After shedding their parachutes, both went to work evaluating potential market value in this thus far untapped territory.

Corporate headquarters soon received telegrams from both sales people. The first read: “Absolutely no potential here. The natives don’t wear shoes!”

The second telegram proclaimed: “Fantastic opportunity here! No competition and every native needs our product!”

The second sales person understood that a problem may be nothing more than an opportunity in disguise.

Which do you think will be more successful? Which of the two would you rather having working on your team?

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.