When
you visit any small business during your normal life routine it is always easy
to determine if that business has a negative work environment. If it is, you probably won’t be going back. No one really wants to trade with a business
where the climate is harsh. How is it
that the small business owner completely understands the effects of a positive
work environment?
Everyone
has reason once in a while to become negative at work. That’s just normal. But when that negativity becomes a habit,
everyone suffers and it will dramatically affect productivity.
Research
has given us the following conditions that can lead to negativity in an
organization:
- Any major change not implemented well
- A history of rewarding poor performance and ignoring excellence
- The absence of a learning environment
- A challenge to stability
- One-size-fits-all approaches to individual motivation
If
your company is going through any of these issues, you need to keep a watchful
eye out for negativity, it can cost upwards of $300 billion dollars a year in
lost productivity. It is up to executive
leadership to recognize a bad condition and develop remedies to cure it. When
negativity emanates from the executive suite, it is up to everyone to let them
know as well. We know that’s not always easy, but without it, the downward
tailspin the company can get into will be fatal for all.
If
you don’t know whether you are at the beginning of your tailspin, just walk
around the workplace. Extreme negativity is palpable, positive energy is
obvious. Neutrality is just that…folks
are in the middle, going through the day to day, not really negative but surely
not positive either. If you are in neutral,
that’s a great time to start making changes to turn the organization into a positive
place where people really want to be, not just have to be. Happiness doesn’t
just feel good; it’s great for your bottom line.
To
begin the process of becoming a positive workplace with highly engaged and
responsive employees, here are some strategies.
They can help transform the company from the inside out:
Foster positive
communication. Language is important; make sure you replace
any negative or critical language with a more favorable tone. Just take a look at communication from
management over the last month. Single
out the negative statements from the positive ones, and then put it into a
ratio. You might be surprised how easy
it is to change. Then make it a habit to
do it.
Assist in building positive
relationships. Don’t focus on the mistakes, emphasize
strengths over weaknesses and recognize positive performance whenever possible.
Associate all work
being done with positive meaning. Highlight
the value and significance associated with the company’s performance and
connect the outcomes with the core values of the employees.
Encourage a positive
climate.
Make sure the positive emotions predominate over negative ones Exhibit positive emotions and express
gratitude regularly will inspire your employees to flourish.
IN THE ABSENCE OF A POSITIVE FOCUS,
A
NEGATIVE CLIMATE WILL BE THE NORM
….Dr. Stefani Yorges
We’ve
all had days when 99% goes right, but we concentrate on only the 1% that went
wrong. Counter that tendency toward the
negative with an overload of the positive!
For
more information on Ultimate Choice Inc.’s products or services or other white
papers please contact us at Ultimatechoiceinfo@cox.net
