The story is from the Houston Chronicle, but I read it on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Web site. The article, by L. M. Sixel says the following:
The next time you go to work in a bad mood, don't worry. It could be a sign
you're on the way to solving a problem.
Recent research shows it could be the grumpy workers who are actually a
company's most creative problem-solvers, said Jing Zhou, associate professor of
management at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice
University.
I sure with a had access to that research a few years ago when I had a boss who was busting by balls all the time. I could have told him, "according to research from Rice University, I'm not a contrarian. I'm just a creative problem solver."
I don't know if I'm a grumpy employee by nature or not, but I can tell you that I related to the finding from this study. I am rarely just cheerful or completely contented at work. And I tend to propose a lot of new ideas, changes and systemic alterations. I don't think it's a coincidence that unimaginative or incompetent bosses tend to make me cranky.
But a difficult employee? Not me. I'm just analytical and a detail oriented. And I've got the True Colors assessment (green) and Myers-Briggs results (NT-Intuition-Thinking) to prove it.
That and I can tend to be a grouch. On friend and former supervisor used to refer to me as a curmudgeon. I took that as a compliment.
