On this segment of Advice From the Pros, Dr. Paul White, psychologist and business coach, discusses the practical ways to avoid negativity at your job.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:
Hi, I’m Dr. Paul White, co-author of The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, and I want to share with you a couple of practical tips if you happen to work in a workplace that’s characterized by negativity. A lot of times that feels sort of overwhelming, and you don’t feel like you can do anything. There are two things that you can do that really will make a difference. First of all, don’t join in and add to the negativity. If someone is complaining or grumbling, just keep quiet. If they’re saying some nasty things about somebody else, you don’t need to chime in. And not adding to the energy can help.
Secondly, and probably, more importantly, is try to turn the focus to something positive. It doesn’t have to be about the topic that those people are talking about. It doesn’t have to be about somebody, it could be as simple as, “Hey man, what a nice day,” or, “Didn’t the Braves do well this weekend?” Or, “Man, I’m thankful I work inside in air conditioning.” Any kind of positive comment can really sort of put a damper on negativity and sort of those flames and smoke that grows.
So remember, don’t add to the negativity. And try to turn the focus to something positive, and you’ll start to see that negativity slowly dissipate and go away.
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