We all have the occasional “bad day” at work. Try as we might, sometimes it just isn’t possible to leave the “Eeyore Cloud” at the door when coming to work. Most of the time, our moods are forgivable and forgettable. However, continued negativity in the workplace can have detrimental effects on maintaining an atmosphere conducive to productivity. It can also negatively impact your employees and coworkers. Managers and employees alike are found equally guilty in this sense; bad attitudes in the workplace don’t discriminate by hierarchy on the company totem pole.
If you happen to be having an Eeyore-kind-of-day, there are some things to consider before stepping into the office. First and foremost, for the sake of yourself and your employees, try your best to check your attitude at the door. Failure to do so can result in various negative behavioral repercussions. Common reactions from your employees could range from annoyance to resentment, and could lead to a decline in their productivity levels. Your cloud could also warrant a more serious, disciplinary consequence, such as a verbal or written warning.
As overwhelming and intimidating as this sounds, it’s easier to prevent the potential problem before it starts, rather than cleaning up the aftermath of your poor attitude. A few simple ways to ensure that an “off” day doesn’t negatively impact your work environment include:
- Understanding the Outcome of Your Negativity – Carefully reading into the consequences may result in thinking twice before you get upset and lash out.
- Looking for the Good – Focus on the good qualities of those around you. Avoid complaining and blaming, and try to focus on the positive aspects of your life and career.
- Resisting Sarcasm – Sarcasm comes as naturally as breathing to some people. If you’re already in a negative mood, avoid making sarcastic remarks and challenge yourself to come up with a clever and energizing comment instead of depleting the moods and energy of others.
- Making Positivity a Priority – In every meeting and interaction with employees, try to maintain a positive attitude. By setting the example and making positive thinking a priority, it will find its way around your office, and eventually reflect on the bottom-line.
Your attitude can easily bring down workplace morale in an instant, offend a client without intending to, or lower productivity (which affects the bottom-line of the business), simply because you are letting your cloud of negativity get the better of you while at your job. Find a method for managing negative attitudes that works well for you, and keep in mind that we can prevent our attitudes from affecting our behaviors.
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