The Thinking Partnership's Arabella Ellis was invited to comment in The Financial Times column The Careerist by Rhymer Rigby, which this week considered what is a right attitude at work.

We are often told that having the right attitude is incredibly important in any job. But what is the right attitude - and how can you develop it? And what do you do if others have the wrong one?

What is the right attitude?
There are two parts to having a good attitude at work. One is organisation specific, the other more general. Arabella Ellis of leadership consultancy The Thinking Partnership says you need to identify the former: "Many people make the mistake of believing they start with the right attitude and don't check that their idea of the right attitude is also their organisation's. If you don't have the right attitude for your company, you'll work very hard and get nowhere."

Nonetheless, she stresses the importance of retaining your authenticity and fitting into a culture without losing yourself: "There's a balance between being compliant and defiant."

Changes such as a new boss can mean changes in what the right attitude is.

As for your more general attitude in the workplace, Peter Shaw, author of Living Leadership , says it all comes down to your outlook. "You choose your attitude. We make a choice every day. Will we be a victim or grouchy; will we see opportunities and focus on doing things better?"

How can I develop a better attitude?
"Be positive and creative," says corporate psychologist Ben Williams. "Try and have fun and look for the good in situations. Do nice things and compliment people. You should also be focused on the moment. If you're with someone, be with them, not on your phone or on the computer. Accept full responsibility for the choices you make. People enjoy jobs more when they get into them so you need to commit to what you're doing."

Ms Ellis adds: "Try and understand other people and business goals and what they stand for. Spend time negotiating expectations so you can deliver in your own way."

What if my team or colleagues have a bad attitude?
"You can change your workplace," says Mr Williams. "If the attitude is bad, praise people and be nice, acknowledge people. You'll become an oasis. It's like a cold bed - the warmth will spread."

Mr Shaw adds: "Attitude is infectious and you can infect others with a good or bad attitude. Time is finite. But energy you can create."

However, he adds that you must be realistic: "If someone's very negative you may want to give yourself a bit of distance so it doesn't drag you down. You could talk about it and think about why they feel negative. If this goes on for a long time you might need to talk about it to your boss."

How do I affect the attitude of my employees?
"One of a manager's key responsibilities is how they affect a team's attitude and how they enable people to have a positive attitude," says Mr Shaw. "Some people just need a little encouragement. Others need strong performance management and steering."

"If you have to criticise people," says Mr Williams, "criticise the behaviour, not the individual".

(Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011)