No Bad Days For You!

Today I had a training class geared toward defining your leadership style, motivating others, and keeping momentum in a not so positive environment.  One of my classmates, who I have nothing but the utmost respect for, revealed that one of her strategies for dealing with frustrations of her staff includes hanging positive statements on her office walls that help her to remember that she needs to maintain a positive outlook on her work and our organization if she wants to be a positive influence.  Specifically, she said she has one statement typed in bold, large print hanging on her wall that reads:

"Managers CANNOT Have Bad Days."  

Her basic managing principal is that she does not let her frustration, stress, aggravation, or unhappiness show to her staff.  She was quick to clarify that she does, in fact, have bad days, but she makes a conscious decision NOT to let her staff know when she is having one such day.

Of course, this discussion got me thinking about my own management style and what I can do to improve the experience my co-workers and staff have when conversing or working with me on a day to day basis.  And, if I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure I complain too much outwardly in front of people I need to work with - both as a supervisor and also as a peer.

So...I think I need to find some motivational mumbo jumbo to post up in my cubicle...to remind me on a constant basis that I need to be the best person I can be at all times and save my bitching for a time when I'm on my own or only with my direct supervisor who maybe can help me manage some of the stress that comes along as part of my job.

Of course the fact that I call it mumbo jumbo doesn't really bode well.  Please send me your suggestions for quotes, motivational thoughts, positive affirmations, etc.  Maybe your suggestion will be printed out and displayed prominently :)