Team Building When: A Co-Worker Is Negative

Why are some people negative? While negativity doesn’t usually lead to any financial reward or promotion, there is a social reward negative people seek out. Specifically, once a negative atmosphere has been established, a person can be seen as popular if they contribute to that atmosphere. The problem with negativity is it spreads like wildfire and can bring down morale and productivity. So, what do you do when a co-worker is negative? Telling the negative person they are negative isn’t the answer. This course illustrates a communication strategy to isolate the negativity. Use this course to learn how to quickly and effectively put out the fire of negativity before it spreads throughout your organization. This course is part of the Team Building When series on workplace communication. These short vignettes present common communication dilemmas in the workplace.