YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
There’s too much negativity today. On social media, in the news cycle, when we eavesdrop on conversations in a restaurant or communicate at work, negativity is there.
We humans seem to have a built-in negativity bias, one that dredges up what’s going wrong around us rather than what’s going right. Too much negativity can rob us of happiness and peace of mind and keep us from thoroughly enjoying our work and relationships.
A person’s negativity can become chronic, different from the occasional complaints or gripes that surface in most workplaces. A chronic negativist persistently criticizes, complains, stays irritated at management or is even obstructive. They are quick to run down the boss, the company or the pay to co-workers, and they may even vent their irritations to customers.
I’ve spoken on attitude in the workplace hundreds of times, and when I open a talk, I start with a question: “How many chronic negativists does it take to affect the attitude of everyone on the team?” Most people answer, “One!” Undoubtedly, most people have experienced the detrimental effect of a negative boss or co-worker.
Here are seven ways to stop focusing on the negatives and direct your feelings to improve things.
Regular bouts of negativity from a leader, an employee or a particular department aren’t beneficial. They impact productivity and can harm the culture. Anyone can help improve their workplace by committing to make things better rather than just complaining about what they don’t like.
Consultant, professional speaker and author Mark Holmes is president of Springfield-based Consultant Board Inc. and MarkHolmesGroup.com. He can be reached at mark@markholmesgroup.com.
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