At one time or another, most of us have had to deal with a negative atmosphere. When that negative vibe bleeds into your office environment, things can get unsavory in a hurry. Whether it’s leadership tension, power struggles or office politics, a negative environment will affect all who are near it. Ultimately the business will function less optimally and will fall short of potential success. If you’re dealing with a negative work environment, here are a few tips that may be helpful in developing a more positive culture.
Implement Positivity as a Core Value
The worst thing about negativity if it’s ability to quietly consume and pull in everything around it. If there is no strategy for dealing with negativity, it will multiply itself under the radar until it has worked its way through the whole team. When you make positivity a stated core value, it shines a spotlight on negativity. It can’t go unnoticed because it no longer has the ability fly under the radar. Your team will feel the expectation of optimism and reject the temptation to be pessimistic.
Bring On Optimistic People
Define what a culture of positivity looks like for your organization and then hire according to that cultural dynamic. Qualifications are great but if that qualified person won’t mesh with your culture they essential become unqualified for the position. They must be able to operate according to your vision or they won’t have much success. You’re setting the individual and the team up for failure when you bring on someone who isn’t suited for your cultural dynamic.
Deal with Conflicts Healthily
When dealing with conflicts in the workplace, there is a healthy and an unhealthy way to go about it. Firstly, when there is tension, the important thing to remember is that conflict between the two side should actually be initiated instead before it unfolds on its own. By that time, its probably too late to deal with it in the most optimal and healthy way. Secondly, the goal is to come at conflict from the angle of gaining a better understanding of both sides rather arguing one side from the get go. It needs to be handled directly and swiftly but with tact and patience. Keeping this open line of transparent conflict resolution and communication with break down the temptation to let things boil over to the point unhealthy tension later on.
