Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Grumpy Effect

Attention all you Grumpy Guses and Debbie Downers, the world has finally recognized your worth! According to a researcher in Australia, grumpy people tend to think more clearly, have a better decision making process and be less gullible. This give credence to the "rose colored glasses" criticism applied to those Peppy Pam types.
Not only did the research show better decision making abilites, it also showed that mild forms of grumpiness leads to better communication skills. Perhaps this is because a grumpy person is more likely to be succinct and direct versus flowery and round about.
What does this mean in terms of the workplace? Are we all doomed to a new management trend of somber meetings and "no laugh" zones? Hopefully not. The research also shows that those with a cheerful demeanor are more creative, flexible and creative. Regardless of where you might fall in Happy-Grumpy spectrum, you now have good evidence to defend your disposition as a valuable work asset!
Feeling grumpy is "good for you", BBC NEWS