Do you want to know how to overcome negativity in the workplace?
Are you struggling with negative employees in your organization as a business owner, entrepreneur, CEO, or manager?
In a workplace where there are persistent quarrels, strife, and bitterness, it is very difficult to ensure productivity and efficiency.
This is why as a business owner, entrepreneur, CEO, or manager, you must make conscious efforts to stop negativity in your workplace.
Read on to find out all you need to know about how to overcome negativity in the workplace before it destroys your organization.
How To Overcome Negativity In The Workplace
Workplace negativity is a situation whereby negative feelings and behavior are predominant in an organization.
Thereby making the working environment an unfavorable one.
Negativity in the workplace has been on the rise in many organizations over the past few years.
This calls for concern and gives rise to the need to take drastic measures to solve this problem.
However before we share effective tips on how to overcome negativity in the workplace, let’s consider;
- The signs of negativity in the workplace
- Factors responsible for negativity in the workplace.
- Effects of negativity in the workplace on the employees and the organization.
Signs of Negativity In The Workplace
How do you identify negativity in the workplace immediately?
This is so you can quickly take action to stop it before it ruins your organization.
Here are some of the actions/ behavior patterns of negative employees that indicate negativity in the workplace.
- Employee(s) rebelling against the leadership in the organization
- Employees breaking rules and regulations on purpose
- Frequent complaints by employees about tasks and projects
- Unwillingness to work
- Lack of dedication, commitment, and zeal towards achieving organizational goals
- Lack of team spirit and cooperation between team members
- Frequent lateness and lack of focus in important meetings
- Unconcerned attitude towards organizational the progress of the organization
- Frequent fights, quarrels, and misunderstanding between team members/colleagues
- No effective communication between team members
- Lack of trust and dishonesty among employees
- Lack of productivity and efficiency of employees etc.
Overall, a lack of interest in the growth and progress of the organization indicates that you’re dealing with negative employees.
Keep these signs in mind so you can easily spot negativity in the workplace and take active steps to overcome it.
Causes Of Negativity
Why do employees develop a negative attitude towards work and the organization generally?
Some of the reasons for employee negativity include;
- Excessive Workload
- Poor compensation plan, salary and work benefits
- Bad management/leadership
- Boredom with work/duties carried out in the organization due to lack of challenging task or major projects
- Lack of recognition and compensation for hard work and diligence in the organization
- Delayed salary payments
- Lack of fair treatment of employees
- Mental health problems of employees
- Lack of empathy (managements’ lack of concern for the feelings, welfare and negative circumstances of the employees)
- Unfavorable working conditions
These are some of the major causes of employee negativity in the workplace.
How does negativity in the workplace affect the growth of the organization?
Effects Of Negativity In The Workplace
Workplace negativity is very bad for an organization.
This is because it can affect the growth and progress of the organization.
Besides these, there are other bad effects of employee negativity in the workplace and they include;
- Reduced productivity and profitability in the organization
- A high rate of employee turn over
- Lack of communication
- Ineffective teamwork
- Negativity in the workplace leads to a lack of innovation and creativity in the organization
Effective Tips On How To Overcome Negativity In The Workplace
Workplace negativity makes your work environment uncomfortable.
More so, it can quickly spread from one employee to other employees and throughout your organization.
This is why you need to take action immediately you spot the signs of negativity in your employees.
The best way to overcome negativity in the workplace is to stop it from happening in the first place.
However, if you’re already noticing some signs of negativity in your organization, here are some of the ways to deal with it.
Identify The Source Of Negativity
Firstly, to overcome negativity in the workplace you need to find out where it’s coming from.
As a business owner, entrepreneur, manager, or CEO you’ll need to ensure that you’re not the reason for your employees’ negative attitude.
Sometimes the cause of employee negativity could be management problems.
It could be that the employees are not satisfied with the leadership style or the company’s policies.
Hence, they begin to rebel against the company’s policies and the leaders in the organization.
Thereby leading to negativity in the workplace.
Furthermore, it might be other members of the management team or other employees.
So, you’ll need to identify the reason behind the employees’ negative attitude towards work.
This is so that you can know the next step of action to take to deal with the cause of negativity.
Thus helping you overcome negativity in the workplace.
Solve The Problems
Having identified the source of negativity in the workplace you must tackle the problem.
You can do this by trying to fix the problems that are giving rise to negative feelings in the employee.
For example, say you’re noticing frequent complaints from your employees about certain things in the organization.
You must pay attention to these complaints and try to solve them if possible.
This is because if you ignore these complaints, you’ll only give rise to more negative feelings in your organization.
Furthermore, if you’ve noticed that your employees are going through mental/physical health issues as a result of personal problems, you could give them some time off.
This would make the employees feel valued and help to prevent negative feelings.
Hence helping you overcome negativity in the workplace.
Recognize And Appreciate Employees Contribution To The Growth Of The Organization
Sometimes, the cause of negativity in employees could be because they feel unappreciated.
It can be frustrating when you put in a lot of hard work into the job and your hard work is not appreciated.
This would lower one’s morale and lead to all sorts of negative feelings.
Hence, if you have high performing employees, ensure to recognize and appreciate them.
When an employee helps the organization achieve a major milestone, do well to appreciate and reward him/her.
There are many ways you can reward high performing and productive employees.
You could give a salary bonus or gifts.
Furthermore, you could also reward hard work in the form of giving some days off work.
Whatever you do, just ensure that hardworking and productive employees are appreciated for their hard work.
This would ensure that the employee remains happy and motivated to do more.
Thereby, preventing negative feelings and helping you overcome negativity in the workplace.
Establish And Enforce Strict Rules Against Negative Behavior
This is another thing that you could do to help you overcome negativity in the workplace.
One of the things that determine and regulate behavior in an organization is the company’s culture.
Company culture can be defined as the set of values, principles, ethics, rules, and practices that characterize an organization.
Negative behavior such as gossiping, racism, gender discrimination among others can lead to negativity in the workplace.
More so, if allowed it would destroy your organization.
In your organization, you should make it clear that negative behavior would not be tolerated.
Negative behavior such as gossiping, bullying, using abusive words, and other forms of negative behavior should be seriously frowned at.
This should be included in the company’s policies and guidelines.
Furthermore, there should be disciplinary measures for breaking the rules.
This would help you minimize the occurrence of negative behavior in your organization.
Thus, helping you deal with negativity in the workplace.
Have A Talk With The Negative Employee(s)
Another effective way to deal with negativity in the workplace is by addressing negative employees.
Sometimes, employees with negative behavior might not know that they have a negative attitude.
Even more, they could be unaware of how their negative behavior is hurting other employees and the organization as a whole.
For example, a negative employee could see his/her insensitive talk as funny statements.
He/she might be unaware of how his/her statement is hurting other people around him/her.
So, talk with such an employee and let him/her know the impact of his/her actions on the team.
Be careful not to criticize the negative employee personally, as this would only make him/her develop more negative feelings.
Just use a diplomatic approach and let them know the consequences of their actions.
Consequently helping you stop negative behavior and to overcome negativity in the workplace.
Create Opportunities For Growth And Development
One of the causes of negativity that we examined earlier on is the lack of opportunities for growth and development.
Sometimes when employees realize that there are no opportunities for growth and development in your organization, they lose interest.
Furthermore, they get bored and tired.
Consequently leading to loss of passion for the job and reduced productivity and efficiency of the employee.
So, to deal with such negative behavior you need to create opportunities for growth and development in your organization.
Organize seminars, training, and workshop that can help to improve the skills and abilities of your employees.
More so, come up with creative and innovative ways that they can use to handle tasks and achieve organizational goals.
This would give them a sense of personal growth and development.
Thereby, helping you overcome negative feelings and negativity in the workplace.
Avoid Favoritism
Another thing that could lead to workplace negativity that you would want to avoid is favoritism.
Favoritism is the act of being unfair or partial to someone at the expense of the other person.
It is the act of showing preferential treatment or special favor to someone.
This is one of the triggers of negative behavior in an organization.
When employees notice that always treat you treat a particular person or group better than them, they tend to develop negative feelings.
Favoritism in an organization tends to trigger negative feelings of envy, discrimination unhealthy competition, and rivalry.
Hence, as a business owner, ensure consistent fair treatment of everyone in your organization.
Ensure that the same rules, standards, and policies apply to every member of the organization.
This would ensure that there’s no form of unjust treatment within your organization.
Thereby helping you minimize and overcome negativity in the workplace.
Create An Inclusive Working Environment
Another reason why most employees could develop negative feelings is when they don’t feel like part of the company.
Employees show more commitment and loyalty towards organizational goals in an inclusive workplace.
So, as a business owner/entrepreneur, create a working environment that includes every member of the organization.
Make every employee part of the major decision processes in the organization.
Furthermore, make them feel part of the bigger picture in your organization
Take note of their opinions and contributions that could help push the company forward.
This would help them like important members of the organization.
Furthermore, this would help you gain their trust, loyalty, and commitment.
Thereby, helping you overcome negativity in the workplace.
Don’t Be Part Of The Problem
When trying to overcome negativity in the workplace, ensure that you’re not part of the problem.
In other words, make sure that you’re not the cause of negativity by being a bad leader.
What are the attributes of a good leader?
Well, to summarize the attributes of a good leader, a good leader leads by example.
When you’re complaining about the negative attitude of your employees check yourself.
Check yourself to ensure that you as a leader are not showing signs of negativity.
For example, do you gossip about a particularly bad employee to a member of your management team?
Furthermore, do you complain about tasks or procrastinate on tasks?
It would be very difficult to change negative employees’ behavior if you have similar behavior.
Hence, be the change you want to see.
If you’ve noticed certain negative traits about yourself that you want to change, change them.
This is so that you can lead by example by showing more positive traits as a leader.
Thus helping you overcome negativity in the workplace.
Know When To Make The Tough Decision (Know When It’s Time To Let Go)
Sometimes it’s just so hard to get a person to change his/her behavior.
Likewise, it might be difficult for you to get negative employees in your organization to change.
When this is the case, you’ll have to make a difficult decision of letting them go.
If you fail to let them go and allow negativity to continue in your organization, it might completely ruin things for you.
Negativity in the workplace can quickly spread like wildfire.
It also destroys all the hard work you’re putting into your organization.
So, let go of negative employees who seem unwilling to change.
This is so you can focus on building your organization around positive people.
Thus helping you overcome negativity in the workplace.
Tips on How Employees Can Avoid Negativity At Work
You may want to teach your employees how to avoid negativity at work.
Here are some tips on how employees can avoid negativity from negative colleagues at work.
- Employees should set healthy boundaries at work
- Negative colleagues could be avoided or ignored
- Employees should learn to control their emotions
- Employees should learn to show tolerance for each other’s excesses
- Seek for disciplinary action against the negative colleague from the management
Final Words On How To Overcome Negativity In The Workplace
Persistent workplace negativity affects an organization negatively.
Negativity in the workplace can make employees within an organization unproductive and inefficient.
It dampens employees’ morale and saps employee energy and motivation towards work.
This is because it makes the working environment very uncomfortable.
Furthermore, it could lead to less profitability in your business or organization.
It also destroys the spirit teamwork and collaboration among colleagues.
Thereby making it difficult to attain organizational goals.
Workplace negativity can be found in all types of organizations whether big or small.
More so, if ignored it ruins an organization.
This is why as a business owner, entrepreneur, or leader you need to take active steps to stop it.
Hence, apply these tips to help you deal with the issues of negativity in your workplace.
This is so you can create a conducive working environment that ensures the productivity and efficiency of your employees.
Thereby, leading to profitability, growth, and progress in your business.
How has workplace negativity affected productivity in your organization?
Please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
We would love to hear from you.
