How to Motivate Employees With a Negative Attitude
“That employee sure has a negative attitude,” is a comment riddled with subjectivity. Before you can take effective action to guide or correct an employee’s attitude in your business, define “negative.” Once you are clear about what constitutes negativity in your workplace, you can take steps to address your employee’s problem and to stop the spread of negativity that can infect your workplace.
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Set an example of positivity in your business. Create and sustain team connections. Engage in supportive conversations with staff without resorting to complaining and belittling comments. Promote a collaborative environment.
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Treat employees’ negativity in your workplace as performance issues. Address an employee’s inability to work in a team situation, for example. Or speak to a worker’s dismissive behavior.
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Gather evidence of employee negativity before confronting issues. Specify instances of negative attitude you have observed or about which other workers have complained. Provide a supportive environment in which to address their problems.
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Meet privately with employees to discuss negative attitude issues. Invite a human resources representative to the meeting. Discuss your company policy and beliefs about attitudes in the workplace. Give troubled employees opportunities to discuss what is troubling them. Motivate them with your support.
References
Tips
- Employees with negative attitudes may be employees with positive performance reviews, good attendance or seniority.
- One negative outburst does not make a negative employee.
- Suggest employees with personal troubles meet with a counselor to help them deal with unresolved problems.
Warnings
- Avoid the trap of complaining about employees’ negative attitudes.
- Avoid speaking to a problem employee in anger.
Writer Bio
Alyson Paige has a master's degree in canon law and began writing professionally in 1998. Her articles specialize in culture, business and home and garden, among many other topics.