Managing Workplace Negativity

 

Figure 1: Work culture (Source: (HEATHFIELD, 2019)

 

Introduction

As an HR manager, it’s important to pay attention to workplace negativity as it can threaten the success of your organization. It affects employee morale, and more time and energy ends up spent on unnecessary negativity rather than productive work. Your employees may become hesitant to take up new roles and responsibilities, or their creativity and innovative capacity could suffer. If they can’t think of new ways to reach organizational goals, the company’s growth may take a hit. Negativity causes heavy losses to organizations and deteriorates workplace relationships.

The first step to minimizing workplace negativity is to identify a root cause. That is,

·      A loss of confidence or autonomy 

·      Burnt out due to excessive work or strict deadlines

·      Misunderstood or unheard in the workplace

·      Unappreciated, unrecognized, or underpaid

·      Unable to resolve disagreements with peers 

·      Negative as a result of rumors or gossip

·      Motivated but lacking in resources or support

Once you know the underlying reason for workplace negativity in your organization, you can work to reduce it. As,

Identify the cause 

We went over common causes of workplace negativity, but how do you know which one is affecting your organization? There may be legitimate reasons to address, and blaming employees for their negative behavior won’t help. Observation is the key to identifying the cause of workplace negativity. Observe employee interaction and understand their perception of the organization. Strive to receive consistent feedback from your employees.

Create a positive work culture

It is important to develop a positive culture at your workplace to prevent negativity. A positive work culture reduces stress and enhances the happiness and productivity of your employees. When the workplace is positive, your employees’ commitment towards the organization increases and turnover is reduced. The following ideas can help you to create a positive work environment:

• Recognize your employees’ hard work
• Motivate teams with incentives
• Treat everyone with respect
• Organize fun activities regularly
• Promote communication and collaboration

Encourage open communication

Pay attention to the opinions and ideas your employees have to ensure that they feel comfortable in their work environment. Give them a voice in the organization. Your employees will feel more valued and develop a more optimistic outlook on the company and their growth within it. Some ways to encourage open communication in an organization are:

·       Evaluate the current communication strategy in your organization

·       Put an end to one-way communication

·       Implement an open door policy

·       Encourage your employees to provide feed back

·       Recognize and reward this feedback

Trust your employees

Develop a sense of trust between and with your employees. When your organization doesn’t trust its employees, it can be very obvious. This can lead to lower motivation, and employees may feel unable or unwilling to use their full potential. Here are some steps to foster trust between management and employees:

·       Keep your employees informed about important decisions

·       Encourage integrity and ethical behavior in your organization

·       Pay attention to your employees’ interests

·       Implement training opportunities

·       Provide credit to your employees when they succeed

 

Treat all employees equally

Favoritism can cause a loss of motivation and build a feeling of resentment in your employees. As a result, employee loyalty lessens, and a negative attitude towards the organization develops. As an HR manager, it’s your duty to prevent favoritism and ensure that work policies are followed by all the employees. The following ideas can help you to prevent favoritism:

·       Pay close attention to how you communicate with your employees

·       Ensure that the mode of evaluation is the same for all employees

·       Avoid spending too much time with a particular employee

·       Conduct regular meetings with all employees

·       Implement a process that allows employees to report bias

·       Provide proper reasons for every decision involving employees

 

Conclusion

Workplace negativity is a major issue that can cause severe financial consequences to your organization. It can decrease employee morale and drain your employees’ energy. Dealing with unmotivated and unhappy employees can cause a lot of stress, and the negativity gradually spreads from one employee to another. Practicing these tips, may help you prevent this negativity, and build a happy, productive, and positive work environment.

 

 

 

References

 Birdi, C. et al., 2008. The Impact of Human Resource and Operational management Practices on Company Productivity. Personnel Psychology, pp.67-70.

Bratton, J. & Gold, J., 2017. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. London: Palgrave.

Deloitte and Touch Human Capital, 2011. Stratagic Internal Communications. Boosting Corporate Culture, Productivity and Profitability, Jaunary. pp.42-56.

HEATHFIELD, S.M., 2019. the balance careers. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tips-for-minimizing-workplace-negativity-1919384 [Accessed 1 December 2021].