More Than Work: Workers' attitudes carry over to customers, peers

Tim McGuire is a past president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and former editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

I gingerly balanced my bag and briefcase and stumbled up to the curbside baggage agent at the Phoenix airport. It was 6:45 a.m. and all the baggage agents already had their hands full with too-busy and too-sleepy travelers trying to make their early morning flights.

When I arrived at the front of the line I was greeted by the biggest smile this side of heaven. My baggage agent was Mr. Happy. He enthusiastically checked me in and engaged me in charming and friendly banter. And that smile never left his face.

It quickly became apparent that I had drawn a legend. All of his fellow agents were joking with him about his great mood. It was easy to surmise that this fellow acts with the same enthusiasm, friendliness and excitement about his job every single day. One of his fellow baggage agents was trying to be surly, but he couldn't be when my baggage guy was around. This guy raised the spirits of the entire crew.

I bounced to my gate after that encounter. I was friendly and enthusiastic to the airport security people and they were friendly right back. That, in and of itself, may be front-page news on both counts.

I wore my great mood on my sleeve all the way down to my gate when I walked up to a fast-food stand to order a breakfast sandwich. I greeted the mature man behind the counter with an enthused, "How are you today?"

He looked at me as if I were crazy and said, "I'm here. What do you want?" Everything about the man was depressing. His shoulders were stooped. His unhappiness with his work and his life were practically in neon. As he made my sandwich, another worker rang my order up on the cash register. It was apparent she was cowed by her coworker's negative attitude. The sandwich maker was bringing everybody around him down.

I even found my own attitude deflating. I had been Mr. Sunshine from the front of the airport down to the gate, but I could actually feel this guy's negative vibes grind me down.

The baggage agent and the sandwich maker have made basic decisions about how they are going to do their jobs. The baggage agent is going to laugh and smile and infect others with his good mood. The sandwich maker is going to inflict his own sour mood on every customer he meets.

I'd love to say I'm always the baggage agent, but there are days I'm more like the sandwich maker. And, which one I choose to be affects other people because both types are "mood carriers." Their moods can affect how I deal with other people I meet that day.

When I do seminars, I routinely run into participants who are convinced things cannot get any worse. Their foul moods are palpable and they are often upset that I don't agree with them that the world is a horrible place and we're all doomed.

Recently, when I met a woman like that, I challenged her directly. I said we have two choices in this world. We can throw our shoulders straight back, walk with authoritative purpose, wear a smile and carry a positive comment for everyone. Or, we can carry the weight of all our burdens on our shoulders and walk with our heads down and with a snarl on our lips.

I looked at the woman straight on and said, "We've got a choice, and I think life is only worth living if we go the first route." She shrugged, and I don't think she bought my argument, but others in the audience clearly agreed with my point.

Our moods affect customers, coworkers and bosses. We can carry infectious hope and happiness or we can bring an entire workplace to its collective knees with a sour mood.

The baggage agent knows how to bring his spirituality and values to work. Unfortunately, the sandwich maker doesn't.

Tip for your search

Think about a person who reminds you of the baggage agent. Think about someone who reminds you of the sandwich maker. Which one are you most attracted to and why? Which one were you most like last week?