A SECRET

Here's a secret: your attitude is probably going to be one of the biggest determining factors for your future success in your career. Sure, skills, work support, and values will also play a part, but attitude is what you will be known (and remembered) by. Attitude will determine your altitude in your career.
Some companies spell it out in their marketing brochures: We hire for attitude and train for skill. To be frighteningly honest, you need to pay attention to your attitude as you are growing up. A smart company will uncover your existing attitude in or even before the job interview. Not only must you must pay attention to attitude during a job interview, but also when you have landed the job. Attitude is very easy for your managers and colleagues to measure, and measure they will, even if you and they do not realise it, people are always summing each other up.
Attitudes express themselves through words and actions, for example, 'always works hard', shows in people who are willing to take on extra tasks or responsibilities, the words are, I'll do it. 'Constantly grumbles', is easy to discover. 'Is trustworthy', is not likely to be the office gossip.
We will all immediately recognise a bad attitude by what people say. It's not my job, It's not my problem, 'What's in it for me?, Do I have to do this?,are some examples of employee-attitudes that might not go down well when there is work to be done. It is sometimes difficult to make a judgment call, because in some cases a lazy manager will download his or her tasks onto you unfairly. However, don't despair, lazy managers would already have been identified by their superiors for their lazy attitude!
It's even easier (certainly more refreshing) to spot a good attitude. Attitude says something about who a person is, rather than what they do or know. Therefore, someone who says, "thank you" when helped, is grateful. Someone who says, Please, could you help me here?, is willing to learn and keen to keep the job moving. Someone who says, It was really John's good idea, is being trustworthy to a colleague rather than being self-seeking.
It is always much more pleasant to be around persons with a positive outlook on life, than their cranky opposites. Positive people will generally attract more help from colleagues, more satisfaction from customers, and more sales than the average person will. Negative people do have some valuable contributions and add a perspective to what might go wrong, but other than that, are often less productive and less well- connected to fellow workers and customers.
There is an often-quoted story that states: An optimist is someone who sees a glass as half-full, whereas a pessimist sees the same glass as half-empty. But I'll have none of this. Both of those attitudes are neutral to me. A real pessimist is someone who can see the half-empty glass and just know in their hearts that it will soon be knocked over and broken, and that they will be cut! A real optimist would have been less internally focused and seen the person coming around to offer a re-fill and then discuss a raise or a promotion!
I know who I would rather work with, I know who I would rather employ, I know who I would rather promote if I had the long-term good of my company at heart. Can attitude be changed? Yes, and right now! Think of one person who has helped you recently. Now lift the phone and thank them. Can't think of anyone? That's OK .Then get up right now and go and help someone, even if it's to get him or her some tea. Attitude is contagious. Start each day by consciously having a good attitude and it will go better for you and all around you. Attitude is an outward expression of who you are. Start practising early, so that you can make the best of life.
Attitude can be expressed and measured in thousands of ways (words and actions). You may ask, Is there one simple rule for knowing how to behave in a work situation? Yes there is! I have found a quick way to check my own attitude. I ask myself when on the job, How will the company or person who is paying for the work, best benefit from my actions? I then carry out that answer knowing that it is the right (although not always the easiest) thing to do. 

Written for SA Career Focus by Wayne Mallinson