It is one of those Fridays

IT'S FRIDAY.

You and your team have worked throughout the week on a project. You have been looking forward to the weekend (how I feel) because you want to spend some time with your family. You arrive at work earlier than usual (what I do) because this is the best way to get a head start on your day (how I think). You find out that there is an unanticipated need to work over the weekend and your plans will have to change.
As you mentally reorganize your day and your weekend, you meet several of your peers in the hallway. They talk about how miserable they are because they have to ask their employees to work over the weekend (how I feel). They also tell you that they are going to ask their employees to work over the weekend by email to avoid personal contact (what I do). They further share that they think that it was unfair of the company to make such a last minute request (how I think).

The possible outcomes of this situation shed light on the cascade effect that individuals’ attitudes can have on others. You could adopt the attitudes of your peers and behave as they are or you could continue to work with your employees as you always have, even though you have to change your plans. As a manager, your employees will learn about how you feel, what you do, and how you think, and very likely, they will align themselves to you. Your attitudes will influence their attitudes, and eventually, their level of engagement. If something is important for you, it should be important for them and vice versa.

-Excerpt taken from ASTD Links, "What Is Organizational Culture?"
Thursday, October 31, 2013 - by Norma Dávila and Wanda Piña-Ramírez

Attitudes play a critical role on engagement, as they do in this hypothetical situation.

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