Attitude Matters in Small Business

June 10th, 2011

Being successful in business is due in large part to your mindset. Professional skill and connections can take you far, but if you lack a personable demeanor, you might find success to be out of reach. At its core, business is about relating to people by way of offering goods or services. While being driven and passionate are important character traits for business success, it’s also important to realize that you have to sell yourself before you can sell a product. Here are some important things to remember when developing your attitude in business.

1.    Think positively

Staying positive is at the core of any good attitude. Research has shown that praising your coworkers often, setting reasonable goals and consistently showing gratitude are all traits common in successful businesspeople. Thinking pessimistically fosters a negative attitude that makes seeing the positives difficult and, in turn, decreases your ability to succeed. Thinking positively lets you see the good things around you and allows you to build off of them, creating an attitude beneficial to advancement. If you’d like more tips on staying positive, take a look at this article.

2.    Be assertive without being aggressive

Being assertive is an excellent business trait, though when acting assertively it is easy to be overly aggressive. The key to acting assertively without acting aggressively is communication. When asserting yourself in a business setting, try not to crush or minimize other people’s perspectives. Allow other people the same amount of time to describe their needs as you’ve allowed yourself and, of course, be open to compromising your needs to meet others halfway.

Taking the time to listen to your coworkers will make you a team player, and team players are often those who advance most. For more advice on acting assertively, read this article.

3.    Approach conflict with compassion

When dealing with an unruly coworker, approach them with compassion. This doesn’t mean you should apologize when it isn’t your fault, instead it means approaching the issue with an open mind. You might be surprised at the positive results of entering into conflict resolution with understanding instead of caution. Having a compassionate attitude can help you succeed in business by effectively dealing with conflict.  For more advice, read this article.

Every successful businessperson has a well-cultivated and implemented business attitude. Professional advancement is dependent on your ability to deal with other people, because all businesses readily involve personal interaction to some degree. These tips and bits of advice will be helpful when evaluating and improving your business attitude, making success even more obtainable. Keep in mind: having a good business attitude takes work. Don’t forget that a good personality is an essential business skill.


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