dyton mupawaenda
HAPPY new month to you all.
Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo
We are already in the second half of the year and very soon, we will be through with the third quarter of 2023.
I would like to wish success to all learners who will be writing examinations this month.
Inasmuch as you might be tempted to sleep because of the cold weather, I encourage you to continue with your studies.
You need to be careful when you find yourself being overly negative or associating with negative people.
Negativity can be suffocating.
You need to realise that you are a seed.
Seeds need the right nutrients to germinate and flourish.
Negativity can stifle germination and growth.
A seed affected by negativity will not produce fruit. So, to thrive, you need positive people around you.
Negativity is not just annoying; it is also unhealthy.
You are likely to fall sick if you spend too much time with negative people.
The world we live in is full of challenges and, oftentimes, we find ourselves hard-pressed.
In every direction you turn, you find people who are always complaining about their situations.
Negativity is a disease, one which can be contagious.
Walk away from such people; in fact, run away with your life.
Organisational status
The research I undertook following publication of my second book, “Breaking the Silence”, concluded that there are a lot of mentally disturbed people in organisations.
The book speaks about such things that affect our mental well-being.
Negativity is now a major contributor to the mental health epidemic, apart from drug and substance abuse.
In many organisations, there are people battling mental problems and, as a result, the organisations are performing below par.
In most cases, employees are negative because of low salaries, poor working conditions and lack of resources, among other things. So, you find employees staying with an organisation just to survive or while up time.
I have come across managers and employees who are so negative that they work against their organisation’s vision.
Such organisations are in need of a culture and attitude revamp.
This is because negativity keeps growing if it is not controlled.
For example, negative conversations can morph into negative attitudes and habits.
Some employees may even start lying and stealing from the company.
One author once said: “An entire sea of water cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world cannot put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.”
We need strong teams that do not allow internal or external negativity to define their character.
No matter the circumstances, certain values and principles should not change.
While you cannot control another person’s negativity, you can choose not to participate in it.
Refuse to be pulled into other people’s storms.
Remember that you have your own storms to deal with.
Many have fallen victim to negative attitudes because of following others blindly.
Group collaboration does not mean partaking in a destructive alliance.
Sadly, some teams are united in doing wrong things or fighting unnecessary battles.
Many struggling organisations can be revived simply by letting go of negativity or negative team members.
It is better to release negative people and create space for positive-minded ones.
VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) times are here and it takes positive minds to come out tops during such times.
General facts
Be careful of what people release into your life; it can build or destroy you.
Associate yourself with positive people because they are most likely to promote what you do and love.
Do not wait for change to take place; you have a part to play in being the change that you wish to see. Be the change agent yourself.
You may be complaining about people littering around town. How about you beginning to clean up the dirty places?
Before you realise it, you may find a few others who will join you.
This is how we make a difference.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is managing consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy. She is a multi-award-winning consultant, speaker and mentor. She is also author of the books: “Born to Fight” and “Breaking the Silence”. Contacts: +263 714 575 805/ [email protected]/ Facebook: Rutendo Gwatidzo_Official.
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