By Macharia Murigi
Workplace negativity is increasingly becoming a major problem in many organisations, reaching toxic levels in some cases.
Negativity refers to the situation where some employees only see the pessimistic side of any situation at work. They ignore the positive things happening around them, seeing only doom, decay, and death of the organisation.
If left on its own, workplace negativity can destroy the whole organisation after sapping the energies of workers, diverting attention from serious work, and breeding hostility between workers.
There are some employees whose chief pre-occupation is to pull others down and decimate any good ideas generated by positive thinkers. Even the most courageous and hard working employees can shudder and stagger under the weight of negative thinking.
Show of hatred
Negative people will talk about how bad their jobs have become, the poor management of the organisation and may even show open hatred to their bosses. They also describe customers and clients as worthless.
The Human Resource department holds the key to containing negativity at the workplace. But the department must be responsive to the complaints raised by the employees and their concerns.
A responsive team of HR professionals is able to detect and control negativity by receiving complaints positively. It should not casually dismiss negative employees as "disgruntled elements".
In an ideal workplace, employees should be allowed to make decisions about their own work, and managers and supervisors should never be allowed to micromanage the employees. They should only give general guidance.
An organisation that is sensitive to concerns of its employees allows them to openly express their opinions about the workplace without fear of victimisation.
Exit interviews have become important tools in the management of people in the modern workplace. The HR must ensure the exit interviews are conducted to establish why staff members are leaving and where they are going.
Likewise this department should also be able to "listen" to the discussions by employees in their informal settings, and if necessary monitor their internal communications.
Organisations should also monitor their reputation in areas where they do business, to learn about the concerns raised by their own workers including pay and benefits, working hours, assignments, working conditions, office location, dress code and unacceptable behaviour by some managers.
Another method to contain negativity at the workplace is for the management to provide appropriate leadership and direction for its employees. Workers want to feel they are part of the organisation. They need to understand the direction the management is taking.
Besides leadership, management should also provide appropriate awards and recognition for individual employees, so that they know their contributions are valued.
Communication is key to effectively manage people. It helps the employees "feel like they belong". Management should, therefore, ensure that everybody has access to the same information as quickly as possible.
Lead by example
Effective and constant communication denies negative thinkers room to spin half-truths and exaggerations.
All managers must lead by example. They should start by reporting to work on time and leaving on time, and demanding for the same from all employees.
