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Neutralizing A Negative Workplace: Understanding and dealing with negativity at the office White, Paul . Personal Excellence Essentials ; Aurora (Apr 2018).

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ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) Negativity is one of the most common, and deeply ingrained, obstacles to a healthy work environment. When

working with front-line employees, supervisors and mid-level managers, a frequent question I hear is, “What can I

do to create more positive interactions in my workplace? People are so negative here!” FULL TEXT

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Negativity is one of the most common, and deeply ingrained, obstacles to a healthy work environment. When

working with front-line employees, supervisors and mid-level managers, a frequent question I hear is, “What can I

do to create more positive interactions in my workplace? People are so negative here!”

Negativity: What is it, really?

Believe it or not, the term “negativity” does not mean the same thing to everyone or display itself consistently in all

work settings. Each facility, or even departments within a facility, can be “negative” in different ways. So the first

step is to behaviorally define: “What does ‘negativity’ look like in your work setting?”

In getting feedback from supervisors and employees, we came up with a long list of behaviors and characteristics.

Here is our current list.

Examples of Negative Behaviors in the Workplace

Where Negativity Comes From

Negative reactions are created by a variety of factors, and often a combination of issues. One of the most

frequently ignored set of factors are physiological ones. While it becomes obvious once mentioned, we need to

remember that we are more likely to react with negative behavior when we are tired, hungry or thirsty, if there are

hormonal changes occurring, or when we generally don’t feel well, have a headache, or in pain.

Probably the most common source of negative reactions is when expectations aren’t met. We get angry (at

different intensity levels) when what we think should happen doesn’t, or when something happens that we think

shouldn’t.

So, if a team member is (or a group of employees are) consistently displaying negative reactions in the workplace,

it is quite likely that they are experiencing a mismatch between their expectations and what they are experiencing

in day-to-day work life. Hundreds of books have been written on the topic of controlling our emotional reactions by

examining our thought patterns and belief systems which can be of help.

How to Begin to Neutralize Negativity

So what can be done? Do you just have to accept the level of negativity expressed in your workplace?

No, you don’t have to resort to “walking on eggshells” waiting for someone to explode, or try to avoid colleagues

who seem angry much of the time. Nor do you have to endure the seemingly endless complaining, grumbling and

cynical comments made by others.

"We do not have the power to change others’ attitudes, and often we have minimal ability to shape their behaviors.

But each of us has the capability to impact those we work with on a daily basis". Here are three practical steps to

begin with:

1. Don’t engage in the negative. When others are complaining, keep quiet. If a group is gossiping about another

team member, just walk away. When someone acts in a hostile way toward you, respond appropriately and calmly.

Don’t add to the negative energy others are displaying.

2. Contribute to the positive. A positive comment is like throwing water on a fire trying to get started. Smile. Make

a humorous (non-cutting) comment. Tell someone thanks for a job done well. Comment on how nice the weather is

or being thankful for air conditioning. A little positivity and gratefulness can douse a developing “negativity”

wildfire.

3. Explore your and others’ expectations and compare them with reality. Examine whether people’s expectations

are reality-based. (Tip: It is best to start with yourself rather than others.) Compare your situation with other

situations worse than yours, and see how that impacts your perspective. Consider doing some in-service training

with staff on what are realistic and unrealistic expectations for their jobs and workplace.

Unfortunately, negative attitudes and behaviors seem to reign in many workplaces. But don’t let others dominate

and take control of your workplace environment. Each person can begin to take steps to help create a more

positive workplace, and when employees work together to do so, a far healthier workplace culture can be

developed.

Author Bio

Dr. Paul White is the author of The Vibrant Workplace and co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the

Workplace with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the NY Times #1 Bestseller, The 5 Love Languages.

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Subject: Employees

Business indexing term: Subject: Employees

People: Chapman, Gary

Publication title: Personal Excellence Essentials; Aurora

Publication year: 2018

Publication date: Apr 2018

Publisher: HR.COM

Place of publication: Aurora

Country of publication: Canada, Aurora

Publication subject: Sociology

Source type: Magazine

Language of publication: English

Document type: Feature

Publication history :

Online publication date: 2018-04-08

Publication history :

   First posting date: 08 Apr 2018

ProQuest document ID: 2043346287

Document URL: https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2F

magazines%2Fneutralizing-negative-workplace-

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Copyright: Copyright HR.COM Apr 2018

Last updated: 2020-11-18

Database: ProQuest Central

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