Paul Petrone* says being around negative people all day is not much fun, but there are three ways you can try to help a co-worker look on the brighter side.
Photo: LittleBee80
Negative people at work aren’t much fun.
Yes, everyone has tough times.
But when people constantly linger in that negative energy and complain all the time and you have to be around them all day, it can drive you crazy.
Worst of all, if you aren’t careful, they can start turning you into a negative person as well.
What should you do?
Well, if you are a peer of theirs, your job isn’t to fix them, but instead to deal with them.
Instructor Brenda Bailey-Hughes suggests three strategies for doing exactly that.
They are in descending order, meaning you should try the first one first, the second one if that doesn’t work and the third if the first two don’t work.
- Practise empathy
Most people who complain don’t want you to fix their problems, they want to be heard.
By hearing them and being empathetic, they’ll appreciate it — and it’ll potentially brighten their mood.
“Empathy doesn’t solve, it connects,” Bailey-Hughes said.
- Practice distance
Say you are empathetic and the person remains negative.
What should you do?
Give yourself distance from the person.
Work in a conference room, instead of at your desk if they sit next to you.
Wear headphones.
If they do talk with you, smile, nod and say nothing.
“We deserve to be happy and when others attempt to steal that joy from us, a little distance is not out of order,” Bailey-Hughes said.
- Lastly, redirect
If empathy doesn’t stop the negativity and you can’t get away from them for whatever reason, it’s time to try redirect their negativity.
So, if they complain about how they lost a deal, redirect them by asking how they plan on getting another.
Or, ask them to name three good things that happened to them that day.
Don’t call them out for being negative if you are their peer — that’ll likely make it worse.
Instead, do your best to redirect the conversation to something positive.
* Paul Petrone is Editor of LinkedIn Learning.
This article first appeared in learning.linkedin.com.
