Banish Negativity in the Workplace
HCR 0205.qxd
1/28/05
10:20 AM
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Banish Negativity in the Workplace
How to deal with cranky co-workers
By Jody Urquhart
Editor’s Note: Setting a positive tone in the work environment is a chief responsibility for managers. The best managers nurture a work environment in which employees feel free to express their opinions, offer ideas, and have a sense of commitment to work as team toward solutions and success. Nearly every workplace, however, has at least one employee who chronically complains and imposes this negative energy on those around them. In such instances, intervention is needed to diffuse this negative behavior so that the team can accomplish its goals. The guidance offered in this article by author Jody Urquhart can be used by employees and managers alike to work toward creating a positive work environment.
L
et’s face it. Some people’s mood swings can gnaw at your sanity. Crankiness is infectious. It can spread through an office as silently and pervasively as a virus. You will do anything to escape the cranky person’s subtle harassment and frequent emotional outbursts. Another’s foul mood can become your liability and drain the joy from your job. These unhappy individuals erode group morale, lower productivity, and scare away customers.
Unbelievably, most prickly people have no idea their attitudes are toxic. As psychologists suggest, knowing is half the battle, because you cannot change what you do not know and cannot see. How can you help cranky people recognize their mood swings? Can you hold up a mirror so they see the villain inside?
Following are some tips to “de-crank” the cranky.
Before getting overwhelmed by their energy-sapping
Sticks and Stones
No one can ruin your day unless you give him or her permission. Only you ultimately control the way you respond to situations and people. This is very powerful. The next time someone loses it and tries to take it out on you,
1/28/05
10:20 AM
Page 3
3
PAGE
Banish Negativity in the Workplace
How to deal with cranky co-workers
By Jody Urquhart
Editor’s Note: Setting a positive tone in the work environment is a chief responsibility for managers. The best managers nurture a work environment in which employees feel free to express their opinions, offer ideas, and have a sense of commitment to work as team toward solutions and success. Nearly every workplace, however, has at least one employee who chronically complains and imposes this negative energy on those around them. In such instances, intervention is needed to diffuse this negative behavior so that the team can accomplish its goals. The guidance offered in this article by author Jody Urquhart can be used by employees and managers alike to work toward creating a positive work environment.
L
et’s face it. Some people’s mood swings can gnaw at your sanity. Crankiness is infectious. It can spread through an office as silently and pervasively as a virus. You will do anything to escape the cranky person’s subtle harassment and frequent emotional outbursts. Another’s foul mood can become your liability and drain the joy from your job. These unhappy individuals erode group morale, lower productivity, and scare away customers.
Unbelievably, most prickly people have no idea their attitudes are toxic. As psychologists suggest, knowing is half the battle, because you cannot change what you do not know and cannot see. How can you help cranky people recognize their mood swings? Can you hold up a mirror so they see the villain inside?
Following are some tips to “de-crank” the cranky.
Before getting overwhelmed by their energy-sapping
Sticks and Stones
No one can ruin your day unless you give him or her permission. Only you ultimately control the way you respond to situations and people. This is very powerful. The next time someone loses it and tries to take it out on you,