We have all encountered this, the co-worker that does nothing but complain and badmouth the company. A lot of us have also encountered leaders that have a negative energy about their role, company, and so on. It makes your work day rough, brings everyone down, and sometimes put ideas in other co-workers heads that might have not been there before. According to Business.com, there are 2 typical scenarios:
Best-case scenario: A toxic attitude can put a damper on your business’s success, including productivity, employee morale and even your brand.
Worst-case scenario: An employee’s bad attitude can lead to losing customers, a ruined business reputation, high employee turnover and lower revenue.
So How Do You Deal?
Employees who constantly display a negative attitude can be tough to deal with. Most people don’t enjoy it but addressing toxicity is critical. Communication is key! In any relationship this rings true and it does here as well. Talk to your employees, give them an opportunity to speak up and freely voice their concerns. Consistent one-on-ones are important, it gives the employees the ability to talk openly while letting them know they can share honest feedback without judgement. If their concerns are valid, address concerns or complaints head on.
A big driving force behind toxic employees or a negative attitude towards your employer is the idea that the leadership doesn’t care. Addressing employee feedback and concerns by taking immediate action demonstrates strong leadership skills and helps to foster a collaborative culture.
Create an environment that doesn’t facilitate gossip. Encourage employees to not take part in it and lead by example. Having regular one-on-ones or meetings can help nip this in the bud. Some companies have an “issue box” whereby employees can air grievances anonymously.
Employees can make or break a business, they are the customer facing, the backbone, the inner workings of a company. It is vital to the business to keep up employee morale and facilitate a positive working environment. Higher than average turnover can create a negative “vibe” around your company that will work against you. I have often had candidates decline an interview with a lender due to the perception that there is a revolving door in a particular market.
