“Geeze that person has a real attitude!”
Most of us can spot a bad attitude pretty easily. We can list the voice tone, body language, and negative comments – the more important thought is around what causes the attitude. Here’s my theory:
An attitude is the outward expression of inwardly held values. If your values are in contrast with that of your organization, it leads to a condition called cognitive dissonance – and that looks pretty ugly. Think about someone who doesn’t mesh well with your organization. They don’t communication the way others do, respect authority and rules the way their co-workers do, and can’t seem to fit in. We call it an “attitude,” it really means their values just aren’t in synch with the organization’s values. Put them in a situation where they do fit in, and I guarantee you’ll see 100% turnaround. Let’s look at some classic examples from the NFL:
- Running back Jerome Bettis was the bane of Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams fans until a trade to Pittsburgh staked out a place in the hearts of the Steelers faithful.
- Wide Receiver Randy Moss raised the ire of fans in Minnesota and Oakland before finally delivering quality play to New England.
- Wide Receiver Terrell Owens showed “attitude” in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and in his first year in Dallas until finally settling into a period of performance (and silence) under new coach Wade Phillips, at least for a little while.
In these three cases, it was a move to a new organization or organizational philosophy that realigned their values, leading to better performance both on and off the field.
Take a look at people in your organization. Can you see examples of cognitive dissonance? If so, look deeper at the values. Are your organization’s values worthy of emulation? If so, how are your interviewing and hiring practices? If those two are out of sync, you may have identified the core issues.
The bigger question is, are YOU suffering cognitive dissonance? If so, what are you prepared to do about it? Can you change your values (unlikely) or move yourself to an organization that truly espouses them? You can ponder that this coming week as you view your organization in perhaps a different light.