Tips for minimising workplace negativity

• To deal with negativity in the workplace, use these 9 tips

Remember that the best way to combat workplace negativity is to keep it from occurring in the first place. You may not always have the power, the authority, or the ability to have an effect on workplace negativity, but you need to start with whatever the workplace environment is when you arrive on the scene.

These nine tips will help you minimise workplace negativity.

Provide opportunities for people to make decisions about and control and/or influence their own job. The single most frequent cause of workplace negativity I encounter is traceable to a manager or the organisation making a decision about a person’s work without her input. Almost any decision that excludes the input of the person doing the work is perceived as negative.

Make opportunities available for people to express their opinion about workplace policies and procedures. Recognise the impact of changes in such areas as work hours, pay, benefits, assignment of overtime hours, comp pay, dress codes, office location, job requirements, and working conditions. These factors are closest to the mind, heart and physical presence of each individual. Changes to these can cause serious negative responses. Provide timely, proactive responses to questions and concerns.

Treat people as adults with fairness and consistency. Develop and publicise workplace policies and procedures that organise work effectively. Apply them consistently. As an example, each employee has the opportunity to apply for leave time. In granting his request, apply the same factors to his application as you would to any other individual’s application.

Treat your employees as if they are trustworthy and worthy of your respect – because they are. Start from a position of trust when you hire a new employee. Verify her performance, truthfulness, and contribution over time to confirm your original position. Do not start from a position of believing that people must earn your trust. That positioning ensures that negativity will take over in your workplace. Employees have radar machines and they are constantly scoping out their work environment. If you don’t trust them they will know – and they will hate you for it.

Do not create rules for all employees, when just a few people are violating the norms. You want to minimise the number of rules directing the behaviour of adult people at work. Treat people as adults; they will usually live up to your expectations, and their own expectations.

Help people feel like members of the in-crowd; each person wants to have the same information as quickly as everyone else. Provide the context for decisions, and communicate effectively and constantly. You cannot over-communicate if your desire is to reduce negativity and gain confidence and support from your employees.

If several avenues or directions are under consideration, communicate all that you know, as soon as you know it about what you are considering. Reserve the right to change your mind later, without consequence, when additional factors affect the direction of ultimate decisions. And, tell your employees this, too, that you want to be as upfront with them as possible but they cannot beat you up if something changes.

Afford people the opportunity to grow and develop. Training, perceived opportunities for promotions, lateral moves for development, and cross-training are visible signs of an organisation’s commitment to staff. Make your commitment to employee growth and development by creating mutually developed career path plans for every employee.

Provide appropriate leadership and a strategic framework, including mission, vision, values, and goals. People want to feel as if they are part of something bigger than themselves. If they understand the direction, and their part in making the desired outcomes happen, they can effectively contribute more. People make better decisions for your business when you empower them with the information they need to make decisions that strategically align with your overall direction.

Provide appropriate rewards and recognition so people feel their contribution is valued. The power of appropriate rewards and recognition for a positive workplace is remarkable. Suffice to say, reward and recognition are two of the most powerful tools an organisation can use to buoy staff morale.

Take some time to analyse how well your organisation is applying these nine recommendations. They form the foundation for positive staff morale and minimised negativity in your workplace.