I often get asked how to deal with negative people in the workplace. There are a number of actions to take, varying on the situation, but here is one thing you can do.

Be nice, and require others to do the same.  Here are two examples of how to balance positive comments/encouragement with correction, reprimands or advice:

Example #1:  The authors of The Carrot Principle did a huge survey years ago.  One conclusion of the survey is 67% of employees have not received a compliment during the past year.  I suggest this is not true.  The problem is they have received so many reprimands, negative feedback and corrections that the compliments were forgotten.

How do you think your people feel?  Could it be the person on your team with a bad attitude is not having their communication needs met - they are different than your other people - so they have developed a negative attitude?

Example #2:  (A favorite story of a friend of mine.)  Many years ago a man was asked to become the chairman of the board for a non-profit company in my local community.  This organization was having serious trouble.  The board meetings were long affairs, often lasting until one or two o'clock in the morning as the top executive fought it out with the board members and everyone had to have their say.  It was unproductive and contrary to the values of the organization.

To start his initial meeting as chairman, my friend said:  "I have two rules on how these meetings will proceed.  First, each meeting will end at 11:00 p.m., even if someone is mid-sentence.  Therefore please keep your comments brief and try not to repeat what others have already said.  Second, if you have something negative to say, you must first say three sincere, positive things."

He then enforced those rules.  The situation turned around rapidly.

Notice my friend had carefully considered the situation and then focused on the positive.

Human nature leads many people to build themselves up by putting others down.  Being negative does not get results long-term.  Look below for some ideas on how to move beyond negativity.

Watch for the e-book version of my next book, The Company Culture Challenge, out later this month!

MEETING IDEAS

Negativity can kill any company culture and destroy how your clients' experience of doing business with your company. This habit is relatively simple to test for one meeting, a week, a month or a full 90-day pilot.

Here are some ideas to consider:

1.  At your next meeting follow my friend's approach.  Require everyone to say three positives before they can say anything negative.

2.  Consider each person who reports directly to you, or with whom you interact regularly as a peer.  Are you giving more correction and negativity than sincere, truthful, positive affirmation?  Make a commitment to change.  Start each day with the commitment and check yourself at the end of the day.

3.  Ask your people to tell you when they were last complimented and what the person said about them.  This informal survey may confirm everything in your organization is wonderful, or that you have a negativity problem.

4.  Remember you have to model the change first, and enforce it gently, professionally and respectfully.  Without follow-through, your encouragement or requirement for people to be nice damages your company culture instead of strengthens it.

5.  No excuses.  I'm too busy...  I forgot...  is all garbage.  You either manage your mouth so people are reinforced positively or not.  You can balance your accountability by setting a daily reminder to yourself in Outlook (task) and asking others to hold you accountable, but the bottom line is this is your responsibility.