What to Do If a Coworker Is Negative
Some individuals have a negative aura about them. They don’t enjoy their work, or they don’t like the firm they’re employed with. Their managers are usually jerks, and they are always treated unjustly by the rest of the organization. The corporation is always on its way down the drain, and its consumers are useless. You must, however, learn to cope with these negative colleagues if you want to be successful in your job.
You are well aware of these negative Neds and Nellies—every company has them—and the easiest way to deal with their influence on you is to avoid being around them. Nobody should be surrounded by negativity, and it is a proven truth that their negativity spreads to others around them. If you spend your time around negative individuals, you may find yourself becoming negative as well. What is the point of going there? The purpose of your profession and employment should be to provide you pleasure rather than misery or negativity.
On the other side, occasionally individuals who are generally optimistic turn out to be negative. Some of the time, their reasons for being negative are valid as well. You will adopt an entirely different approach when dealing with these sometimes negative folks, whose hostility may be justified in certain cases.
The following suggestions will help you cope with both of these types of negative individuals in the most effective way possible. Different approaches are required, and you may need assistance in dealing with their influence on you and your workplace in some situations.
Dealing with Occasional Negative People: Some Suggestions
Pay attention to the employee’s or coworker’s grievances.
You must continue to listen until you are certain that they have been heard and are being listened to. People may sometimes repeat negative thoughts over and over again because they do not believe that you have really listened to them or understood what they are saying. Inquire about things. Make their remarks more specific. Check to see whether you have actively listened to what has been said.
Determine whether or not you feel the employee or colleague has reasonable grounds for their negative attitude toward the company.
If you decide to proceed, inquire as to whether they would want your assistance in resolving the matter. Whenever a colleague requests assistance, provide suggestions or ideas on how the coworker might deal with the source of their negativity.
Any short-term counsel that helps a person go in a favorable direction is appreciated.
However, it is not your responsibility to give treatment or counseling. In addition, providing extensive career guidance or making long-term suggestions is not your job description. Point the colleague in the direction of beneficial literature, seminars, or the Human Resources department in order to resolve their issue. When coaching colleagues, be aware of your own limitations.
The colleague just wants to air his or her grievances with a sympathetic ear.
It is not necessary for you to provide advise or aid in order to resolve the problem; the colleague only wants you to listen to them. Listen attentively, but create boundaries so that the colleague does not overstay or overtalk his or her invitation.
Long-term whining depletes your energy and ability to maintain an optimistic viewpoint.
Allowing this to happen is not acceptable. Take a step back. Inform your colleague that you’d want to switch the conversation to a more pleasant topic. Inform your colleague that their whining has an impact on your feelings about your job and your workplace—and not in a positive manner.
If you are honest, maybe the negative individual will stop complaining, but if you are not, regrettably, the negative person will likely target a more difficult employee. If you see anything like this occurring, you should contact your human resources manager to inform him of the situation. He may decide to address the issue in order to promote a more amicable workplace.
If you have listened to the coworker’s criticism and determined that their fears are unfounded, inform them that you have done so.
Personal and professional bravery will be required on your part, as will the ability to tell them what you believe to be the source of their negative. Inform the colleague that you appreciate their concern and are concerned about their well-being at work, but that you do not agree with their evaluation of the issue. For example, you do not agree that management misrepresented or withheld facts in an unethical manner in order to mislead employees. You are under the impression that the information was delivered as soon as it was made accessible to you.
Exit graciously from any subsequent interactions that may arise.
Although your colleague may try to appeal to your empathetic nature, if you think the negativity is unjustified, don’t waste your time listening or assisting the coworker in dealing with his or her emotions.
You will only foster long-term and ever-increasing negative sentiments and, perhaps, conduct if you continue in this direction. You will establish yourself as a negative energy magnet. Constantly unfavorable relationships will gradually infect your interactions with your coworkers and coworkers’ interactions with you. It’s possible to become a negative person as well.
Tips for Dealing with People Who Are Consistently Negative
Deal with those that are really negative by spending as little time with them as you possibly can. In the same way that you create boundaries with employees whose negativity you feel is unfounded or unjustified, you must also set boundaries with folks who are legitimately negative.
You are not interested in the underlying reasons of their long-term negativity. Every unpleasant individual has a tale to tell. Listening to the tales, or going through the history and background of the complaints that are said to be the source of the pessimism, should not have an affect on your own optimistic viewpoint. Your actions will perpetuate the negative, which is a conscious decision.
The negative thinkers require a new job, a new business, a new career, a new viewpoint, a new life, or professional therapy to change their ways. They don’t need your assistance in wallowing in their own self-serving gloom. Don’t go there; it’s not good for you, it’s not good for them, and it’s not good for the organization that you represent.
How to Deal with a Coworker Who Is Constantly Negative
These are some strategies for dealing with folks who are continuously pessimistic.
Spending time with a negative colleague should be avoided. As a result of all of the factors listed above, you should restrict the amount of time you spend with them.
If you are compelled to work with a negative individual because of your position in the organization, establish boundaries. Never allow yourself to get entangled in bad conversations. Inform the pessimistic colleague that you like to think about your employment in a positive light. Avoid becoming a receptive listener for those who are expressing negativity.
Advising the negative individual to seek help from human resources or their boss is a good idea. Make an effort to guide the individual in the direction of seeking assistance for their negative attitude.
If everything else fails, speak to your own boss or human resources personnel about the difficulties you are having coping with the negative individual in your life. Your boss may have some suggestions, may be ready to address the negativity, and may even take the matter up with the negative person’s management to resolve the situation.
Keep in mind that continuous negativity that has a negative influence on the job and working environment of colleagues is a work behavior that may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination from the company.
What’s the bottom line?
if there is chronic negativity among workers in your firm, if the factors that are causing the negativity are not addressed, and if the negativity is interfering with your ability to properly execute your job, you may want to consider leaving. Your present organizational culture will not allow you to create the work environment you seek. In addition, if no one is actively attempting to improve a work environment that fosters negativity, don’t expect the culture to change anytime soon. Now is the time to move on.
What Can Employees Do If Managers Ignore Their Complaints?
In response to the question “What should workers do if their concerns are ignored by managers?” there is no one answer since the solution is dependent on what you mean by ignoring and what you mean by making a complaint. In order to react to these inquiries, you may draw on four sorts of frequent employee grievances:
The difference between failing to comply and not being able to comply
“The method we use to manage inventory is old and useless,” you tell your employer, and your boss mumbles something and does nothing to improve the inventory tracking process, that’s what you call your boss “ignorant.”
The difference is that if you make the same concern and she answers, “I know, but we need $200,000 in order to upgrade the system, and finance won’t sanction it,” she isn’t dismissing your complaint. Despite the fact that she is not making any changes as you have asked, she is not disregarding your requests. In reality, she responded—although it may not have been the response you were hoping to hear—but she did reply in some fashion.
Many individuals believe that if their supervisor does not accomplish what they have requested them to do, they are being ignored. This is not always the case. The reality is that bosses are not compelled to implement every change made by an employee, and in many cases, they are unable to do so for a variety of reasons that you do not comprehend or are unwilling to accept.
Employees File a Variety of Complaints
Take a moment to analyze what constitutes a grievance. There are four types of complaints, and for each kind of complaint, you should use a different strategy if you’re being dismissed. Legal grievances, procedure difficulties, workload concerns, and other non-specific complaints are the most common categories of worker complaints. Each will need a different strategy.
Compliant with the law
If you report to your supervisor that Jane is sexually harassing you or that Steve is breaching OSHA standards and your boss does not open an inquiry, you must take the matter to the next level of management. These issues may be brought to the attention of your boss’s superior or the human resources department..
Numerous businesses have an anonymous tip line where you may report legal problems, and you can use this service to report legal breaches as well. If you try this option and it doesn’t work, you may always report the matter to the appropriate government office for assistance.
Just because you file a complaint against something does not always imply that it is in violation of the law, so keep that in mind. Consider the following scenario: you file a sexual harassment complaint against Jane and all you say is, “Jane asked me out on a date,” and your supervisor does nothing more than reply, “Okay, thanks.”
If Jane refuses to accept your refusal or acts you differently as a result of your refusal, this is a violation. What seems to be a breach of government rule may not really be a violation since you are not always aware of what is going on behind the scenes, as is frequently the case.
Complaints pertaining to the procedure
Using the example of an inventory procedure that is no longer in use as an illustration, Perhaps you believe that something might be done better. Assume that your management will disregard you if you just state, “The inventory process sucks!”
That isn’t a legitimate issue; it is only whining on the part of the speaker. For example, if you go to your boss and complain that “the inventory process sucks, and I believe we should do A, B, and C,” it is a valid complaint. The fact that your boss does not act on your proposals does not imply that he is ignoring you or that your proposal is unworkable.
Sometimes you only have a partial understanding of how things work. All you have to do now is see your role. Your ideas may not be implemented because, quite honestly, they will not work for all of the parties and processes that will be touched by them. In certain cases, they are prohibitively expensive. Alternatively, they just do not want to—and this is a perfectly valid argument as well as any others. Seriously.
Even though it seems absurd, the statement is true. Every suggestion made by workers will not be implemented since the organization is limited in resources. The argument is over, and you’ve supplied a solution; now you may go away. You don’t want to escalate this kind of idea. It will not be appreciated by your boss, and it will reflect poorly on you.
Grievances Regarding Work Load
If you think your boss understands what you do all day, you’re probably not right! The fact that you are totally overwhelmed while your teammate is spending the whole day watching YouTube videos may go unnoticed by your management.
If you’re feeling overworked, explain to your boss that you have “A, B, C, and D” on your plate right now. The only way I can see to complete them all before Friday is to work overtime. “Can you tell me which ones are the most important? Ask for assistance if your boss tells you to “do it all.”
Taking a few steps back if your boss is unable to assist you or ignores you is a good idea.
The first step is to determine whether or not you are being realistic about the amount of work you have ahead of you. Spending an inordinate amount of time goofing around is a dangerous habit.
Secondly, set your own priorities. To begin, you must choose which tasks are the most critical and do them in order of importance.
Three, you must determine whether or not you wish to continue living in this manner.
Everyone understands that no one can compel you to perform a specific profession. You should look for a new employment if your current workload does not align with your personal goals. You should quit your job as soon as you can when you find one.
Keep in mind, though, that if you want to advance in your job, working 40 hours a week is unlikely to be the best route to go. When it comes to putting in long hours, persons at the top of the professional ladder tend to put in far more than those at the bottom. Even if you are content in your current position, refrain from complaining about not being promoted while you are going out the door no later than 5:02 every evening.
Complaints of a Different Kind
“My colleague stinks” to “I despise my job” are examples of statements like this. The complaints that you are making ought to be stopped. The best course of action if your colleague stinks is either to bring it up directly to their attention (“I’m not sure how to approach this, but I’ve observed you may want to shower more”) or to ignore it.
It is likely that your boss has also observed that this individual smells horrible but has done nothing about it; so, bringing it up with your management will have little effect. Your manager does not want to hear the phrase “I despise my work.” Whining isn’t helpful, and it’s not productive either. Instead of moaning, look for another employment.
Generally speaking, if you have a remedy to give, you have the right to bring your concern forward. Anything else is just complaining. Making a fuss about the regulations, your acceptable workload, or your coworker’s terrible habits is nothing more than complaining. We don’t accept whining in the workplace, and your manager should dismiss your complaint.
Do you get a feeling of being overworked?
According to the findings of a poll conducted by the Families and Work Institute, a non-profit organization that studies the changing nature of work and family life, about one-third of workers in the United States feel overworked or overwhelmed by their employment.
Ellen Galinsky, Stacy S. Kim, and James T. Bond are the researchers that wrote the study, Feeling Overworked: When Work Becomes Too Much, which was published in the journal Psychological Science. PricewaterhouseCoopers provided financial support. It is defined as “a psychological condition that has the ability to negatively impact attitudes, behavior, social connections, and health on and off the workplace” by the authors of this study.
The Findings of the Study
According to the findings, a representative sample of 1,003 persons (18 and older) from throughout the nation who satisfied two requirements participated in the survey. Each subject was required to work for money and was not permitted to be self-employed during their primary education (or only job). The following questions were asked in the survey:
How frequently did you feel overworked in the last three months: very frequently, frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never?
In the last three months, how often did you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you had to do: very often, often, sometimes, rarely, or never? Very often, frequently, occasionally, rarely, or never
The replies were as follows:
28 percent of the individuals reported feeling overworked on a regular or frequent basis.
28 percent reported feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work they had to perform on a regular or often basis.
54 percent reported feeling overworked at least sometimes, and 55 percent reported feeling overloaded at least occasionally.
The findings of this research aren’t really unexpected. Occasionally, if not often, you may have feelings of being overworked as well. The knowledge that you are not alone may provide some measure of consolation. Identifying the underlying causes of your sentiments, on the other hand, may be more fruitful. It could be able to assist you in finding a strategy to lessen them.
What are the causes and what are the solutions?
The findings of the survey revealed the features of people’s occupations that caused them to feel overworked or overburdened. They are as follows:
working more paid and unpaid hours per week at their main or only jobs working more hours than they would prefer, however many hours they actually worked working more days per week at their main or only jobs working more days than they would prefer, however many days they actually worked working longer hours or more days than they would prefer for external reasons (reasons other than financial or personal) believing they are unable to change their work schedule so that they can work more hours or more days than they would prefer working longer hours or more days than they would prefer working longer hours
Recent layoffs have placed a significant amount of work on the shoulders of surviving workers, requiring them to work much in excess of the customary 40 hours per week. Because survivors of layoffs are concerned about losing their employment, they strive to demonstrate their value by working harder and staying at work for longer periods of time each day.
Workplace Stress Reduction Strategies
Rather of modifying your workload, attempt to adapt your response to it as much as possible. Work stress induced by feeling overworked may be reduced by using relaxation methods, for example, which can be beneficial.
Your mobile phone and other technologies that allows you to be more available to your employer during non-working hours might make you feel more overworked than you would otherwise be. If at all possible, try to set out a day, or at least a few hours each day, when you are not allowed to do anything.
During that period, refrain from answering the phone or checking your email. Consult with your supervisor to determine the optimum times for you to be unavailable that would work best for both of your schedules. Give the impression that you’ll be there when your employer needs you the most, and ideally he or she will reciprocate by allowing you to have some personal time.
Who Do You Think Is the Most Overworked?
Furthermore, the researchers attempted to address the question, “Do different demographic groups feel more or less overworked?” they wanted to know. They arrived at the following findings as a result of their research:
Women report feeling overworked at a higher rate than males.
Individuals between the ages of 36 and 54 (mid-career) report feeling more overworked than those between the ages of 18 and 35 (early career) and mature employees (55 and older).
Managers and professionals report feeling overworked at a higher rate than other employees.
The sheer existence of additional family obligations is not related with a sense of being overburdened in any way.
Women who answered the survey’s questions said they were interrupted more often while working than males. They also said that they have a greater number of jobs to do at the same time. When the authors contrasted men and women who were often interrupted while working or who had many jobs to do at the same time, they found that there was no difference in feeling overworked.
The Effects of Family Responsibilities on Individuals
“This study’s results pose critical issues, according to the authors. “Do women face more frequent interruptions and excessive multitasking as a result of the particular sorts of occupations they hold?” they wonder. Is it true that women’s socialization experiences make them more susceptible to disruptions and more inclined to take on more responsibilities?”
While the existence of family duties is not connected with feelings of being overworked, the extent to which such responsibilities are present may be. They speculate that inequalities between men and women in terms of major duties for family work may also contribute to the explanation of why women feel more overworked than men. As a result, working moms have more obligations to their children and families than their male counterparts. Working parents may resolve this issue by devising a more equitable method of dividing household responsibilities.
The Consequences of Overwork
Having overworked personnel is damaging to everyone involved, including both the employee and the business. Moreover, overworked individuals are “more likely to report making errors at work; feel resentful at their bosses for asking them to accomplish so much; dislike peers who don’t work as hard as they do; and hunt for a new job with another company,” according to the research.
While it is in the best interests of a company to assist its workers in resolving any difficulties that are causing them to feel overworked, anybody facing this problem should take action regardless of whether or not their employer will assist them.
Overwork has serious consequences for an individual’s health and well-being. “They report greater work-life conflict, feel less successful in their relationships with their spouse or partner, children, and friends, are more likely to neglect their own needs, are more likely to lose sleep because of work, are less likely to report that their health is very good or excellent, have higher levels of stress, and have poorer abilities to cope with everyday life events,” according to the findings of the study.
