17 out of 20 interactions are negative according to the study by Albert Bandura in the 1960’s. I first learned about this research at The Mandt System conference and it is reinforced in the RCT instructor events. What a depressing reality! The information changed my life. I don’t want to live in a world where the majority of people’s interactions are negative. I believe the statistic because sarcasm counts, and we have become an extremely sarcastic society. Frequently, even when someone says something intended to be positive, it comes across as negative because of the sarcastic words or tone used.
I thought, how can I, as one person help turn this around? Since learning about the study, I have purposed to become a more positive person. I routinely go out of my way to find something positive to say to anyone I interact with, not just people important to me. As I walk pass a stranger I may say, “that is a really good color on you, you have a lot of pep in your step, or you have such a nice smile”. Not everyone receives the information as intended, and I don’t wait for the response. However, sometimes the person lets me know, I really needed that. It brightened my day. There is also research that indicates that the positive affirmation from a person can offset the negative interaction with another.
I established a goal that in every interaction I want the other person to walk away thinking, “that was pleasant. I wouldn’t mind interacting with her again”. This is in keeping with the philosophy shared in the RCT instructor events, whenever you do something, do it in a way that builds people up. As a result, I am a more positive person, more pleasant to be with and hopefully I have a more positive impact on others as well.
Aaryce Hayes – SVP Operations
