Manage Employees Who Wallow In Negativity

There’s always that person who you avoid conversation with because it’s going to be seeping with negativity and the last thing you need today is a complaining body to manage.

As a manager, you’re trying to keep your crew on top of their game, but you just can’t get some of them past the habit of blowing up situations and tearing down fellow co-workers.

How do you handle telling your employee that they are bringing everyone down?

  1. Pull them aside privately: Many times people have no idea their bad attitude is affecting everyone, and many times, they do. A private conversation is the best way to talk about it. One-on-ones don’t have to feel like a threat.
  2. Explain how their words and actions are affecting the team: This is the hardest part—where people’s pride gets in the way and they can either take it, or they’ll dish it back to you. You are the one that will drive the conversation, and it’s your demeanor that will ultimately keep it calm.
  3. Encourage them in their work and take their personal life into consideration: This is your chance to use your people skills and knowledge of who they are to make a small breakthrough and figure why they are acting this way.

In order for your team to have great performance, everyone needs to be all in to functioning as a team. People deal with all kinds of issues that could lead to this attitude and negative behavior. Sometimes, they just need someone to encourage and believe in them so they feel secure, heard, and motivated.

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