According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, the definition of negativity is expressing dislike or disapproval, not hopeful or optimistic, disagreeable. We all have encountered this type of person at some point and in those instances, we want to know how to deal with them. They seem to always expect the worst and it is challenging to make them see this characteristic in themselves.
We’ve all heard the phrase “one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel.” This is true with negativity if it isn’t dealt with properly. It may begin with one person but can easily spread to others. If negativity infects one department there will be issues that arise such as poor performance, reduction in productivity, change in morale, and even an increase in turnover. It can suffocate positive energy in the organization, causing spiraling problems and issues.
No matter your role, you always have a choice of whether to jump on the bandwagon with the negative person or to try to avoid the situation. Sometimes people may just want to share their feelings and thoughts. But we need to stay positive and offer suggestions that could help uplift their spirits. When negative comments or false statements are made, you should challenge them. Provide truth and positive statements when possible. By sharing solutions or other options, we can help the person feel included and give them another viewpoint of the situation.
You need to decide if the negativity is brought on by a situation at work, or if it’s something deeper. If possible, the supervisor or manager should try to ask the right questions to see if the problem can be resolved. Dealing with negativity requires the ability to steer away from the problem and nd a solution. Sometimes we may need to ask ourselves how we would react if we were the person in question. Try and have the negative person come up with a solution or new productive idea to combat the matter at hand.
Truthfully, you don’t need to feed the problem. When negativity presents itself, exit the conversation. Set your boundaries and stay positive.
All employees appreciate recognition for their work and this helps morale. Managers and co-workers should try to make an extra effort to compliment their team members’ achievements when needed.
We all have choices to make every day. It’s how we choose to look at different situations that make us who we are. We can despairingly say “I HAVE to go to work today,” or we can choose to optimistically say “I GET to go to work today.”
It’s said that we are the company we keep. Let’s try and help make the atmosphere more positive, productive, and supportive. Hopefully we can give negative people a different outlook and viewpoint. Let’s try to give them hope.