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TURNING NEGATIVITY INTO "POSITIVITY"

Joe Cynic is the ultimate pessimist. No matter what you or any other
colleague suggests or proposes, he always shoots it down. His
mantra: "That's never going to work." Besides preventing himself
from doing a good job, his negative attitude often spreads to his
co-workers, leaving you with a group of naysayers.
When you're looking for Barbara Blabbermouth, you know just where to
find her � hanging out at the water cooler speaking in hushed
whispers. She dishes the dirt on everyone in the office, and has
been known to spread a rumor or two. Her loose lips have not only
taken a toll on company morale, but also have put a dent in employee
productivity.
Walter Whiner is a constant complainer. If he's not griping about
how much work he has to do or how little money he makes, he's
grumbling about some company benefit or grousing about a new policy.
He'll complain to anyone who lends a sympathetic ear, sapping
motivation and spreading discontent among his co-workers.
Do any of these employees sound familiar? Do one or more of your
subordinates fit any of these descriptions? If so, you're not alone.
Negativity is a common challenge that employers must deal with on a
regular basis. Regardless of how prevalent negativity among your
workers may be, you shouldn't resign yourself to the fact that it
will exist no matter what you do. The damage it can do to your
company demands you deal with it. Left unchecked, even one negative
attitude can infect your entire company. When that happens, you may
experience any or all of the following.
Negativity as a barrier to positive change.
Negativity as a block to productivity.
Negativity as a morale killer.
Negativity contributing to increases in absenteeism and turnover.
Nixing Negativity From The Top
While negativity can take many forms, its cause, in most instances,
is the same � lack of job satisfaction. Specifically, employees'
feelings of negativity are affected by their workload, sense of
competence, confidence, and control over their jobs.
Since management is directly responsible for assigning work,
providing feedback, and delegating responsibility, managers can be
directly responsible for creating or encouraging negativity.
Therefore, your efforts at nixing negativity should begin at the
top.
Here are some strategies you and your managers can use to encourage
job satisfaction and discourage negativity among employees.
1. Acknowledge that negativity exists. That is the first step in
working toward changing it. Once you identify it, you can determine
the best ways to combat it.
2. Set an example by keeping your communications positive. Don't
give employees either a reason or an excuse to act negatively.
Counter negative statements by pointing out a positive, changing the
subject, or turning it into a problem-solving discussion. Whatever
you do, do not stay silent because it can signify acceptance of a
negative notion.
3. Expect positive actions from employees. Otherwise, they might
complete your self-fulfilling prophecy. When employees complain, get
them to take action instead, by asking them what they are going to
do about it.
4. Give positive recognition often. Feedback should not be mostly
critical; accolades are equally important. Constant criticism and
negative feedback breed negativity. Therefore, it is important that
you remind employees that their contributions make a difference in
the company's success.
5. Get direct feedback from employees on how to make the workplace
more enjoyable, less tense, etc., by using a satisfaction survey
like the one at the end of this report, for example. By providing
whatever raises employees' job satisfaction, you may be able to turn
their negative feelings about their jobs into positive ones.
6. Give employees more decision-making power. Employees' negativity
may stem from feeling no control over their work. Give employees a
voice when it comes to workplace decisions that involve them and
their work.
7. Provide encouragement for your employees when you see them
struggling. Arm them with the tools and skills they need to be
successful on the job.
Drawing Positivity Into The Workplace
Just as negativity can be contagious, so, too, can optimism. Instead
of focusing on and talking in terms of "negatives," here are some
pointers for firing up the optimism in employees.
Sing employees' praises, reward a job well done, and get down in
the trenches and show employ- ees that you're willing to roll up
your sleeves and pitch in when needed.
Always ask employees for their suggestions before making major
decisions that will affect them. Even if you don't implement them,
show your appreciation for any suggestions employees make.
Encourage employees to learn new skills by getting additional
training. Challenge employees to accomplish new, better goals.
Finding Hidden Negativity In New Hires
In an AHI web conference, titled Dealing With Negative Attitudes In
The Workplace, Steve Gilliland, CSP, suggested that preventing
negativity from invading your workplace starts during the hiring
process. "We spend too much of our time hiring people for what they
know, and we eventually want to fire them for who they are," he
said.
Utilize the interview process to uncover potential new hires'
propensity for a negative or positive attitude.
"When I hire people, I make sure that our culture supports positive,
engaging people. The only way to get those people is, during the
process of hiring and interviewing, I understand exactly who they
are," Gilliland said. He likes to ask applicants: "What does it take
in the course of your day to make you negative?"
Also try asking:
Do you allow others to influence you? How much?
What type of people do you like to surround yourself with?
How do you generally react to problems? How do you resolve
conflicts?
What or who motivates you the most?
Learn more about what influences individuals to be negative and how
they can change their attitude by ordering a recording of AHI's web
confernce Dealing With Negative Attitudes In The Workplace,
originally presented on September 19, 2007.
Stopping Negativity In Its Tracks
Despite your best efforts at hiring positive personnel and nipping
negativity from the top down, chances are good you'll have to deal
with one or more negative employees at some point. However, there
are both preventive and corrective steps you can take to deal with
negative employees before their malaise infects your entire
workforce.
1. Develop and implement a policy on unprofessional behavior.
Include a non-exhaustive list of behaviors, such as insubordination,
that constitute a violation that may result in discipline, up to and
including termination. (For a sample, see the next page.)
2. Make sure all job descriptions state that it is an essential job
function to be able to communicate effectively, get along with
co-workers, and deal with colleagues effectively and professionally.
3. Include the category of team player on employee performance
evaluations. Employees who know they are being evaluated on how well
they collaborate and cooperate with co-workers may be less likely to
exhibit disruptive behavior.
4. Encourage employees to inform their supervisor when a negative
co-worker becomes a problem. This way, supervisors are aware of how
the negative behavior is adversely affecting the workforce, and can
address the problem appropriately.
5. Meet with the employee one-on-one to not only address the
concerns identified by colleagues, but also to determine if there is
something in the work environment that is troubling or frustrating
the employee. Such a meeting will also start the wheels of
progressive discipline turning, so you can impose stiffer penalties
if the employee's behavior does not improve.
BEHAVIOR-AT-WORK POLICY
One way to effectively deal with negative or problem employees
is to have a company policy that prohibits employees from
exhibiting inappropriate workplace conduct. The following is a
sample of such a policy that you can use or adapt to the
specific needs of your organization.
We take the view that courtesy begins at work. If employees,
supervisors, and managers treat each other with respect and
consideration, they will treat those outside the organization
in a proper manner.
If at any time employees feel they are not being treated with
respect or courtesy by other employees or any manager or
supervisor, they are urged to file a complaint with the
Personnel office. It will not be necessary for employees to go
through their immediate supervisor to file such a complaint. A
confidential investigation will be made and corrective action
will be taken, if warranted.
Insubordination, including improper conduct toward a
supervisor or refusal to perform tasks assigned by a
supervisor in the appropriate manner is considered
inappropriate workplace conduct.
Theft or unauthorized removal or possession of property from
the Company, fellow employees, or customers is strictly
prohibited.
Employees are prohibited from misusing, destroying, or
damaging Company property.
Fighting will not be tolerated on Company premises.
Negativity Takes A Legal Toll
In extreme cases, negativity can rear its ugly head in the form of
boorish, harassing behavior that is the basis of discrimination
claims. Such lawsuits have involved employees who allegedly spoke
harshly to and swore at a co-worker, or used obscene gestures and
vicious name-calling.
Win or lose, employee lawsuits based on such severe negative
behavior are both expensive and time consuming to defend against.
Therefore, it is important that you take the following steps to
prevent a negative attitude from becoming a legal issue.
Hold every employee accountable for their behavior. In other
words, don't make exceptions for good workers. If you do, you send
a message to the rest of your workforce that you'll tolerate bad
behavior as long as employees are doing their job. Instead,
explain to all negative employees that their behavior is
detrimental and will not be tolerated.
Point out to employees in a non-confrontational way that their
negativity is disruptive and consti- tutes insubordination.
Document all communications with an employee to create a paper
trail that you acted in good faith by counseling the employee
before taking any adverse employment action.
Bear in mind that an employee's negative attitude may be a
manifestation of a bigger problem, such as a serious health
problem or a psychiatric disability. If that is the case, you may
be re- quired under the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide
the employee with an accommodation so they can effectively perform
their job.
Head off negativity by setting up an employee hotline to report
problems, or by making supervisors and Human Resources personnel
available on a walk-in basis so employees have a forum other than
the courts for airing their problems and concerns.
Helping Negative Employees Help Themselves
Not all workplace negativity will rise to the level of a company
policy violation. In such situations, disciplining those employees
is not the answer. So, if discipline isn't appropriate, what should
you do?
Help those employees to motivate themselves to change their
attitude. They don't have to make a complete turnaround and become
positive. The idea is to not be negative. But they might not know
how. That's where you can help. It's good for the morale of the
department and company to have a heart-to-heart talk with those
employees. With a helping spirit, use the following advice to coach
the employees in order to get them on the road to a better attitude.
1. Evaluate your way of thinking. Their normal behavior is to
automatically complain, criticize, and make judgments. Let them
continue that behavior on one condition � they conduct a self-audit
before saying anything. Employees should ask themselves:
Did anyone ask what I thought?
Am I helping the company by complaining/criticizing/judging?
Does the complaint/criticism/judgment help my department,
co-workers, or manager?
Will the complaining/criticizing/judging help the person I'm
speaking to?
Will the complaint/criticism/judgment help the person it is about?

If they find that their complaints, criticism, and judgment serve no

purpose to anyone, even themselves, then that's exactly where they
should keep all of that � to themselves. Explain to the employees
that it's okay to not agree with a project deadline, managerial
move, co-worker's personality, etc., but complaining, criticizing,
or judging won't change anything.
2. Distance yourself from negativity. "Your mind will give back
exactly what you put in it," stated Gilliland. In other words, for
employees to change their negative feelings and attitude toward
others, they need to change or distance themselves from the
information or people contributing to their negativity.
"People and information produce your thoughts. Your thoughts produce
your actions. Your actions produce your habits," Gilliland said. "If
you do something 21 times, it becomes a habit. If it's a positive
thing, it becomes a positive piece of your life. If it's a negative
thing, it becomes a negative habit."
Information may influence employees to be negative, so they need to
change their daily intake of information or balance it with an equal
amount of positive information and activities.
Example: An employee reads the newspaper in the morning and gets a
daily dose of bad news about the war in Iraq. It's easy to tell him
to stop reading the paper, but that might be part of a morning
routine and a hard habit to break. So he should counter that intake
of negative information with a positive activity, such as sitting
down for breakfast with his children before they go off to school or
going out for a quick jog to boost his energy.
Rather than, or in addition to, information, a person might be
contributing to employees' negativity. That person could be anyone
from an unfriendly coffee shop clerk to a temperamental co-worker.
They should limit their interaction with that person or avoid them
all together, if possible.
3. Look on the "bright side." Teach employees to focus on the bright
side, rather than on what's wrong with a person or situation. Right
now, it's easy for them to focus on the negative, so focusing on the
positive will be tough in the beginning. But with practice and over
time, they will naturally see the bright side.
Give the employees examples to highlight how you want them to cast
complaints in a more positive light.
Complaint: "I hate waking up early in the morning to come to work."
The bright side: "At least you're physically able to get out bed and
you have a job to go to."
Complaint: "I can't stand getting stuck in traffic every morning."
The bright side: "You have your own car to drive and are in control
of your commute, unlike those who have to take public
transportation."
Complaint: "My supervisor always holds meetings at 4:30 on
Wednesdays, when we're supposed to leave at 5."
The bright side: "Would you rather she schedule the meeting at the
same time on Friday?"
EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY
Use the following survey to measure your employees' satisfaction at
work by having them rate each of the following statements on a scale
of 1 to 5, where 1 is strongly agree and 5 is strongly disagree.
1 2 3 4 5 I know what is expected of me at work.
1 2 3 4 5 I have the training and equipment
necessary to complete my job successfully.
1 2 3 4 5 I receive recognition or praise for doing
a good job on a regular basis.
1 2 3 4 5 My manager encourages my professional
development.
1 2 3 4 5 My manager solicits my input when making
decisions that affect me and my job.
1 2 3 4 5 My fellow employees are committed to
doing quality work.
1 2 3 4 5 I feel challenged and engaged in my job.
1 2 3 4 5 I feel like my efforts make a difference
in the success of the company.
1 2 3 4 5 Over the past year, I have had
opportunities at work to learn and grow.
1 2 3 4 5 I feel like I have enough resources and
support to do my job.
1 2 3 4 5 I am not concerned about my job security
and the future of the company.
1 2 3 4 5 I feel like my contributions are
appropriately compensated.
Scoring
Add up the numbers circled.
12-24 = Positively positive.
25-36 = There's some room for improvement.
37-48 = There's a lot of room for improvement.
49-60 = Changes need to be made, stat!

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