Who are we?: Attitude and Competitive Image

The attitude we have towards life and the image we can project of ourselves are two elements that accompany us at all times, and that become fundamental to everything we do as if we were imposing a stamp. Let's start by defining what attitude is. It is a reaction we have to a situation we face in our daily life and our ability to handle it. Some people say that "our attitude defines our aptitude", because they consider that they are intimately linked.

In our working life, we may face many comments that do not allow us to develop our skills to the fullest; because strange as it may seem, the words of others affect us deeply. In the performance of our activity, surely we have heard someone, phrases like That's not my job! or Why me?! On many occasions, this hurts us and makes us feel very bad. Perhaps we have assumed an attitude of disinterest, apathy, or even negatively influenced the performance of our work and the relationship with other colleagues.

We must consider that attitudes play a very important role in our environment: family, personal, and work, since at all times we demonstrate our: integrity, creativity, cooperation, leadership, and fraternity, among many others. For example: When a colleague in our workplace cries, the first attitude we show is compassion or solidarity. We feel identified with his or her affliction and wish to show that he or she is not alone because he or she can count on our support.

In another case, our attitude may change. Let us imagine that a colleague shows little commitment to his work or to an activity that we have to develop. Perhaps our first reaction would be rejection, disgust, or the intention of forcing him to do what he is supposed to do. But if we think about it for a moment, perhaps our attitude would be more assertive if we assume a leadership role and creatively get that person involved in his or her work.

Commonly, for people to be more productive and feel satisfied in their work, we must manage a series of personal principles, such as: to be perseverant, organized, responsible, and reliable. Therefore the types of attitudes that we can mention are:

Job satisfaction. Logically, it is when we achieve a high level of satisfaction with the activities we perform.

Involvement with the work. In which we are fully identified and which reflects that we care about the activity we perform, the time we invest and the energy we use to develop ourselves further; we also measure the degree to which we value our performance and the way in which we identify ourselves within the company.

Organizational Behavior. We can refer to it as the identification with our work, and if we wish to continue participating actively in it.

Consider that attitudes are learned, i.e., they can be differentiated from bio-social motives, such as hunger and thirst, which are not learned. Attitudes tend to remain stable over time. They are directed toward a particular object or idea. Attitudes are rarely an individual matter. They are usually taken from the groups with which we come to identify. Some elements of attitudes can be found in what we think, what we feel, and how we express them.

It is difficult to modify our attitudes because they depend to a great extent on our beliefs, convictions, and judgments; from our origin in the family. Indeed, attitudes are formed from our earliest years of life and are reinforced over time. Other attitudes are learned through social coexistence; as is the case of the negative attitude towards unjust acts, while some others depend directly on us.

Attitudes are reasonably acceptable indicators of the behaviors we assume, whether positive or negative. For example: when an employee feels dissatisfied with the work he/she is doing, he/she does not get involved in his/her work and assumes a negative attitude. This is reflected as a lack of commitment to the organization and this can lead to lack of interest, lack of productivity, absenteeism, health problems, and a host of other problems.

In contrast, an attitude that shows that we are satisfied with the workplace and the activity we perform, i.e. that we like working there, could be not to accept another job (even one that could be considered better), because we have a sentimental anchorage with the colleagues and/or the place; we feel in a favorable mood regarding the things related to it.

Let's keep in mind that the attitudes of the members of an organization will always be reflected in the corporate image. If a company is competitive, productive, dedicated, and interested in meeting the needs of its customers, it will be because these are the attitudes of all or most of its members.

To understand this, it is necessary to define what an image is: it is a visual representation that shows the appearance of an object. While competitive: is that which by its quality or properties, is able to compete with someone or something. Therefore, we can define Competitive Image as the representation of all members of the organization, which is demonstrated in qualities in an environment.

The image plays such an important role, because it is our business card, and through it, empathy is established with other people, during the first seconds of knowing us. It is necessary to make a thorough study of our image, because we must adapt it to our way of being, in aspects of our work and family life, since it is important to be consistent between what we do and what we say, and that is reflected in our image.

For example, a lawyer who claims to be "very good", if he arrives at a courthouse wearing jeans and tennis shoes, the image he is portraying is not correct. The way of dressing for this case should be of formality and professionalism; responding to the rules of dress in each place. The wardrobe is an element that, together with other expressive ways of our body, reflects who we are and how we act. The way we speak and dress is our image, the one we present to others.

Therefore, if we are willing to recognize our strengths and weaknesses, we will be able to use different resources and enhance our competitive abilities. All this without forgetting that our personal image reflects the pleasure, self-esteem, and respect we feel for ourselves. That is why we must always keep in mind that personal image is the external manifestation of our internal values. Let's remember that what we are is what we carry inside, our personality, our smile, our attitudes, our desires, our aspirations, and our way of being.

It is also important to mention that success is not achieved by dressing well, or behaving in a certain way; it is also necessary to express ourselves physically and verbally in an adequate manner, and the most important thing is always to know how to listen. The way to project ourselves to others begins with our will, it consists of achieving what we want by modifying our attitude and having the desire to do it. In conclusion: our behavior in the workplace reflects how we wish to be treated. The greeting is the first physical contact that can open or close doors with others.

Let's start by accepting that everything changes. Nothing is permanent.

To survive and be more competitive. We must start by determining priorities, with an initiative to get things done.

Every day we have to learn something. Lifelong learning is the only way to compete.

Let us perceive reality. It is the same, but with different perceptions from each of us.

Let's offer solutions and not accusations. Let us visualize valid alternatives, and create the image that we solve situations.