Video: How to Manage Negativity

A constant naysayer on your team can be frustrating and draining for everyone. Leila Towne, an executive coach, gives three tips...

How to Manage Negativity

Enough about solutions, what about causes?

What are some things that can cause workplace negativity?

According to a study by international consultant Towers Perrin and behavioral researchers Gang & Gang, reported by the HR columnist Susan M. Heathfield, found these five reasons:

1) Excessive workload
2) Concerns about management ability
3) Worry about job and retirement security
4) Lack of challenge or outright boredom on the job
5) Perceived lack of recognition, both in pay and other forms.

A lot of the times you may find people in a situation where they can't afford to quite a job they hate so they just have to put up with it and therefore comes a very bad attitude leaking their negativing into the "waters" of the workplace. What are your thoughts on how you would deal with something like this?

Book: Managing Workplace Negativity - Gary Topchik

Synopsis

The symptoms: increased customer complaints, high turnover, low quality of work, increased absences, loss of morale and motivation, lack of creativity and innovation, loss of loyalty to the organization. The diagnosis: workplace negativity. The cure: Managing Workplace Negativity . Workplace negativity may seem like an intangible problem—but it has very tangible consequences for the companies it afflicts. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that U.S. companies lose $3 billion a year to the effects of negative attitudes and behaviors at work.

Managing Workplace Negativity gives managers, team leaders, trainers, and other human resources professionals much-needed help in treating the negativity bug. It will help readers:

Identify the 14 types of negative individuals, from the "not-my-jobber" to the "rumor monger"

Confront their own negativity

Recognize negativity "trigger points"

Overcome entrenched, ongoing negativity

Deal with group or company-wide negativity problems

Create a positive environment that enhances morale and productivity.

Solutions Newsletter: Negativity in the Workplace

There is a great article about Workplace Negativity found here: www.familycounsellingcentrebrant.com/.../8065187235618347.pdf



This article points out the possibility that "you" could be part of the problem. Negativity can be contagious and you could be affected and not even realize it. Your work could be affected and you may even find yourself discouraged and unhappy.

Take a look at this informative article to answer some important questions that may help you recognize your own negativity.

6 Tips on Minimizing Workplace Negativity

Human resource professionals are closely in touch with employees throughout the company. Therefore naturally they are able to gain an idea of the organization to sense workplace negativity. HR receives employee complaints, do exit interviews with employees who leave, and know the reputation of your organization in the community. How can we prevent and cure workplace negativity?

The best way to combat workplace negativity is to keep it from occurring in the first place. These six tips will help you minimize workplace negativity according to Susan Heathfield from about.com:

• Provide opportunities for people to make decisions about and control and/or influence their own job. The single most frequent cause of workplace negativity I encounter is traceable to a manager or the organization making a decision about a person’s work without her input. Almost any decision that excludes the input of the person doing the work is perceived as negative.



• Make opportunities available for people to express their opinion about workplace policies and procedures. Recognize the impact of changes in such areas as work hours, pay, benefits, assignment of overtime hours, comp pay, dress codes, office location, job requirements, and working conditions.
  
  These factors are closest to the mind, heart and physical presence of each individual. Changes to these can cause serious negative responses. Provide timely, proactive responses to questions and concerns.



• Treat people as adults with fairness and consistency. Develop and publicize workplace policies and procedures that organize work effectively. Apply them consistently. As an example, each employee has the opportunity to apply for leave time. In granting his request, apply the same factors to his application as you would to any other individual’s.



• Do not create “rules” for all employees, when just a few people are violating the norms. You want to minimize the number of rules directing the behavior of adult people at work. Treat people as adults; they will usually live up to your expectations, and their own expectations.



• Help people feel like members of the in-crowd; each person wants to have the same information as quickly as everyone else. Provide the context for decisions, and communicate effectively and constantly.
  
  If several avenues or directions are under consideration, communicate all that you know, as soon as you know it. Reserve the right to change your mind later, without consequence, when additional factors affect the direction of ultimate decisions.


• Provide appropriate rewards and recognition so people feel their contribution is valued. The power of appropriate rewards and recognition for a positive workplace is remarkable. Suffice to say, reward and recognition is one of the most powerful tools an organization can use to buoy staff morale.