Many thanks to Vanessa for the title slide

1. Water Coolers, Negativity and Conversation

2. Have you noticed that most of the casual conversation that goes on in the workplace is negative in nature?

3. When was the last time that you were pulled aside by a coworker and told some great piece of news? If your boss scheduled a mandatory staff meeting wouldn’t you assume that it was planned to be the vessel of bad news?

4. When people talk of other people in the workplace how often are they sharing good things? When was the last time a coworker pulled you aside and told you in confidence, "You know Jean is a really good worker” Go way back…way…way…back

5. The vast majority of casual conversation in the workplace is negative. The idea of standing around a water cooler in the workplace generally implies coworkers sharing personal information.

6. However, most of this personal information is negative in nature or the spreading of rumors.

7. Negativity breeds negativity. In other words, you start out your day hearing a bunch of negative things about your coworkers and your thinking changes in negative ways as well.

8. Your whole attitude and outlook will change so that everything and everybody is viewed through a prism of negativity. Negative thoughts lead to negative actions which lead to negative results.

9. If you are thinking of ways that are negative there is no way that you can have any positive or good outcome from any action that you take.

10. The only way that you are going to be able to achieve your goals and have the life that you want to have for yourself and your family and your friends is to approach life in a positive way.

11. But, simply putting a smile on my face and trying to ignore anything that is unpleasant has never worked well for me. Instead I ignore negative comments and avoid situations where negativity is breeding. Gossip and rumors are the breeding ground for negative thinking.

12. Negative thinking is encouraged and reinforced by the media. So many TV shows are negative in nature; they display the negative parts of our nature. Try to associate with people who are positive and have a bright outlook on life.

13. This week pay attention to the negativity around you. When you have a conversation with someone, evaluate it in your mind as to whether it was negative or positive.

14. Start trying to avoid these negative conversations. In many cases it’s better to avoid the situation entirely so that you don’t get into the negative conversation to begin with.

15. Start looking at the negative pieces that maybe shaping negative thinking in your life and start plucking them out one at a time. This has been the most effective method for me in order to maintain a positive outlook and to be able to accomplish the things that I want to accomplish. www.slideshare.net/auntce