Think before you post

Think before you post

By Lt. Col Patricia Tate, 7th Medical Operations Squadron commander 

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Have you ever had one of those days that it seems like you are working harder than your coworkers? You made 100 widgets and your coworker has only made 50. So, what do you do when you perceive the workload as unfair? Do you go home and blast your frustrations out on social media for all to see or do you sit in your duty section and complain about it so all can hear about how unfair it is?

This type of negative energy, that may appear harmless to you, is like a poison on morale in your organization ...especially if you are 'friends' with coworkers on a social media site. Yes, everyone is entitled to vent after a frustrating day, but to place your frustrations on a social media site or vent about it in your work area so all can hear is not conducive to a healthy work atmosphere and it detracts from good order and discipline. There are positive ways to deal with a frustrating day at work without venting about it on social media or negative talk in the workplace.

Changing your attitude to look at things in a positive manner about the situation can change your perspective about work and life. Zig Ziegler said, "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." Besides, there may be things going on in your coworker's life that has impacted their ability to produce 100 widgets on that day and you don't have, nor do you need, the intel into such matters. Instead of looking at your coworkers and comparing your job output to their job output, look at yourself in the mirror and ask, "Did I do my absolute best today, not only for the organization, but for myself?"

If there are things that are going on in the organization that frustrate you, speak to your supervisor. There may be changes going on in the organization that have not been clearly communicated. The main point is, don't blast your frustrations out on social media or discuss them in the duty section because it creates a negative image of the Air Force; it is unprofessional and the words cannot be removed or taken back. There is a time and place to vent, but negative talk leads to poor morale which zaps the focus of where the energy needs to be spent ...toward production and job performance. It is in your hands to create the type of workplace where there is positive energy, quality work production and high job performance.