Attitudes can’t be measured or graded, but the effect or results of our attitudes can be. “They are apparent in our actions and performance. You may have said or heard  someone  else  say,   “That  person  has  a  poor attitude.” How was this opinion formed? Was it formed as  the  result  of  the  way  that  person  acted  toward coworkers   or   customers   or   the   way   that   person completed his or her work? Let  us  look  at  some  specific  instances  in  which attitude plays a big part. Consider an aircraft mechanic in the process of making a preventive maintenance (PM)  check  on  a  jet  engine.  Suppose  the  mechanic sees a loose wire or a badly worn part not included on the PM card but does nothing about it. On a flight the next  day,  the  engine  malfunctions  and  flight operations  are  disrupted.  Was  the  mechanic’s  neglect a dereliction of duty? Probably! However, we are not considering  the  legal  aspects  of  the  act,  but  the negative   attitude   that   prompted   it.   Similarly,   a negative  attitude  is  demonstrated  by  the  cook  who scorches  the  eggs,  the  liberty  boat  coxswain  who drives  into  every  wave,  or  the  Hospitalman  (HM)  who loses your shot record. The mechanic isn’t going up in  the  plane.  The  cook  has  already  eaten.  The coxswain is in the duty section. The HM isn’t going to have a sore arm as a result of the shots. These people aren’t interested in doing a good job; they just want to get through the day. People are said to have a positive attitude toward a situation or person when the consequences are pleasant or desirable. For example, you may be said to have a positive attitude toward a friend because you enjoy the friend’s  company. You are said to exhibit a negative attitude toward an individual  or  situation  when  the  consequences  are painful or otherwise undesirable. For example, you drive carefully because of your concern for the safety of your passengers as well as the other drivers. Why bother talking about attitudes? After all, people are people, and you can’t change human nature. Not true!  Human  nature  constantly  changes—as  attitudes change. How do attitudes change? First, YOU must become aware of the desirability and advantage of change. Second, YOU have to change your attitude—no one can do it for you. SN Doe is assigned to a galley working party by his leading petty officer (LPO). SN Doe is angry that he has been given this detail again. AN Frost is assigned to the same detail by his LPO. Both sailors show up for the working party. Doe tells Frost that he is tired of working parties and he feels he shouldn’t be there. He says he is going to request to see the captain to find out why he is assigned to so many working parties. Frost says, “Hey man, working parties don’t last forever; besides the work we do helps everybody. It provides service to the galley so that the crew gets good hot chow, and we do not have to eat sea rations.” Pride Since our attitude toward others is a reflection of our attitude  toward  ourselves,  we  must  have  a  proper appreciation  of  ourselves. We   should   not   be   too   impressed   with   our accomplishments,  nor  should  we  be  excessively critical  of  them.  Staying  in  touch  with  reality  is  a excellent approach to developing a healthy attitude. You may not be all that you would like to be; but you are who you are, and you should feel good about that. You are valued as a person, you have accomplished certain  things,  and  you  have  the  ability  to  climb higher. Recognizing who you are, what you are, and what you hope to become will enable you to meet each day with an expectation of winning rather than a certainty of  defeat. Without a degree of pride in yourself, your ability, and your job, you are unlikely to put forth your best effort. You are more likely to perform only when told to do so, and then only at a minimal acceptable perform- ance level. Courtesy Regulations do not require courtesy beyond that required  for  formal  military  protocol.  Formal  courtesy is that which is demanded by custom and tradition, and failure   to   observe   it   can   result   in   unpleasant consequences.  But,  common  courtesy  is  a  totally different  subject. Common   courtesy   goes   beyond   what   we   are required  to  do.  It  is  a  voluntary  expression  of  respect for another’s rights or feelings. It is opening a door for   someone   heavily   laden   with   packages.   It   is showing military courtesy and respect for a person rather  than  merely  giving  the  required  recognition.  It 1-7