Some
of the ways in which a leader can transform the negative behavior to positive behavior
are discussed below.
1.
Be a True Observer: In order to successfully tackle negativity the
manager/business head should rely more on observation rather than being
judgmental. Observing people will lead to important clues and the root
cause. Sometimes, you may find employees
indulging in negativity due to particular work load, a particular stress-giving
co-worker or personal problem at home. If the stress is caused by a typical
work process or a new rule imposed, you should try to modify it according to
the workers affected by it. If that is not possible, for valid reasons, talk to
the employees about the nature of the problem and devise other ways to combat
it.
2.
Counsel the Employees: Employees with a negative attitude can spoil the whole
atmosphere of your business and demolish morale. These people in fact, display
contagious practices in form of unkind jokes, criticism behind or on someone’s
face which ultimately leads to negativity. It would do a lot of good if you
could call and talk sympathetically to the employee and do whatever is possible
within your means to help him. Your counselling will help the employee to
concentrate much better and be productive. And if the problem is urgent,
granting the concerned employee leave would be more prudent.
3.
Be positive with negative people: Some people have negativity built in them and for some reason
or the other it is just not possible to simply get rid of them. Keeping such
people in mind, explicit rules regarding acceptable and non acceptable
behavior at the workplace should be made clear to all. While imposing
behavioral rules on the staff, make sure to lead them by your exemplary
behavior. Don’t shout or talk rudely yourself and maintain your attitude when
under stress. “Being positive in a negative situation is not naïve; it is
leadership”.
4.
Combat Negativity: Every person is a unique individual, and he will have unique
motivators that help create a positive attitude. As a leadership trainer, one needs to find motivators for your employees. There are
employees who are goal oriented and expect quality recognition to feel that
they have accomplished their goals. Others may be motivated by monetary rewards
or with certain challenging assignments. Find what works for each of your
employees and implement strategies to get your workforce motivated and
positive.
5.
Be open to direct feedbacks from employees: Get direct feedback from employees on how to make the
workplace more enjoyable, less tense, and highly productive. Consider using a
suggestion box or anonymous survey. By utilizing employees' ideas on what gives
them job satisfaction, you may be able to turn their negative attitude about
their jobs into positive ones. In fact, as a manager, you can also directly
invite employees to visit your cabin if they have specific concerns about
negative attitudes.
6.
Give Feedback Positively: Feedbacks need not to be always critical; accolades are
equally important. Managers should be very careful as constant criticism and
negative feedback breeds further negativity. It is important for a manager to
handle praise and criticism delicately. Managers need to remind employees that
their mistakes and failure can act as the key information about how to improve
themselves. As a manager you need to make the employee understand the feedback
and what different they need to do in order to achieve the standards.
Once you determine the actions that are
needed to bring about the desired change, you can address someone's negative
attitude at work. With clear communication about expectations, the employee
will have the opportunity to change the behavior and improve performance.Hence, the trick is to never quit and keep on pushing, give
them a chance to improve their behavior. If they do not, it can be the
indication that you may transfer them to another department which might suit
better to their interests and skills.
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