Don't spread negativity

No workplace is without its share of negative people; people who not only wallow in negativity but also spread it by complaining, whining, criticising or gossiping. However, one sure way of becoming valued is if you become a person who focuses on the positive. Here’s how to make the switch is you are tired of being negative.

KNOW THE IMPACT OF NEGATIVITY: No workplace is without its share of negative people; people who not only wallow in negativity but also spread it by complaining, whining, criticising or gossiping. Negativity has been proven to poison the work environment, stresses colleagues and breeds pessimism.. Don’t be someone who exhausts everyone around by being chronically angry, indignant or focussing on doom.

COMMIT TO BECOMING PART OF THE SOLUTION: When you make this commitment you must stop the complaining, finger pointing and blaming and contribute to finding solutions; you don’t stand back and constantly talk about the problem and expect someone else to do something about it. Don’t dwell on the negative things or exaggerate issues you are facing or make things look worse than they really are.

MAKE A CLEAN BREAK WITH NEGATIVITY: Negative people tend to gravitate towards each other and often form cliques. When you commit to not being negative, you have to stay away from your former fellow complainers. This may not always be possible as you need to work with them. The alternative is to find someone to hold you accountable by drawing your attention to when you default to complaining and whinging. If a negative person comes to you wanting you to lend them an ear listen the first time but make sure not to join to reinforce the negatively. If they come to you again draw a line and disengage.

MAKE POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS: As a member of your workplace it is automatically your responsibility to help improve things; not assume it’s the job of only the managers. Bring your commitment to being positive to life by making some specific practical suggestions especially related to something you are concerned about and which you would have complained about but now have the chance to address more positively. Even if it’s someone’s responsibility specifically to fix something, if it impacts you, it’s always useful to see how you can help rather than criticise others from the sidelines.

ZIP YOUR LIPS: If you can’t come up with a positive doable suggestion or are not sure that you can say something positive then simply keep quiet. Negativity can be contagious and can negatively impact productivity. So do your workplace a favour by not saying anything if you can’t trust yourself to say something positive. Being in conversation with a negative person is extremely draining so don’t be that kind of person.

FACE THE OBSTACLES: Becomng positive is not a simple ‘sitting by the fireplace experience or process’. It takes guts to hang in there and stick to your commitment. Don’t revert to complaining at the first sign of down times or a situation that you cannot be positive about. When feeling this way avoid people who are likely to reinforce your negativity or make you feel justified to air your grievances.

Now take action: Reduce interaction with negative people in your workplace.