We got this new guy at work who is quite interesting. In the morning he greets everyone with “It’s going to be a long day”, after the typical salutations. I’ve come to call this the power of negativity. Can’t be disappointed at an arduous work day when that’s already your expectation going in! Perhaps the new guy is smart, rather than quirky. Realistic, rather than negative.
Joking aside, I’m not sure greeting someone that way is the best strategy. Unless of course it is understood by everyone that that particularly day is indeed going to be a rough one (the beginning of a new semester, perhaps). Otherwise, who wants to hear that negativity first thing in the morning? The rest of us head into the workday wishing for the exact opposite: a quiet, no drama day that quickly goes by so we can return to our regular life. Hearing someone say that it’s going to be a long day just isn’t pleasant.
You want people to have a positive feeling when they see you. I’m not sure this new guy of ours is doing that.
Not to say I entirely subscribe to the whole power of positivity thing. It’s more that I believe happiness is a choice. The treadmill never ends if you’re counting on something in the future to make you happy. I choose to (and try to) have a positive predisposition at all times. Because why put on additional mental stress, especially during the truly tough times? If I can’t be happy solving a hard problem at work, then I’m not going to find happiness on a weekend morning with plenty of free time.
A few days ago the new guy said his “it’s going to be a long day” greeting to our supervisor. He responded with, “No, it’s going to be a great day!”. Now that’s a supervisor I’m glad to work under.
California cruising.