5 Ways to Deal With A Negative Coworker

Monday, December 15, 2014



Whether it's a a coworker you're friends with or someone in your personal life, negative people can be a real drain on our mood.  You can start the day off great yourself with a positive attitude, but the second they approach you and start complaining, it starts to pull you down as well.


It's important to know how to handle this person while keeping your own positive attitude going.  One thing you have to remember is you can't change someone else, but you can change how you react.  These tips should help.




[1] Laugh It Off
When they start complaining about what so-and-so is wearing, we tend to want to agree to appease them.  But instead of saying "Yea, that looks horrible" and putting that negative energy out there, just giggle and shrug or shake your head.  If your coworker still insists you react by saying "Don't you think it looks weird?", just reply with something carefree like "Yeppers, she's got her own sense of style that's for sure."  This way you aren't necessarily saying something negative, you are just making a neutral observation.

[2] Lightly Correct Them
We all have that person that has to make comments like "Ugh, everyone in here annoys me."  How can you respond so that your energy and mindset stays positive and they can't really come back at you with more negaivity?  Reply with something like "Hey now, it could always be worse.   I'm trying to keep a more positive attitude lately."  

[3] Don't Engage Them First
If you keep exposing yourself to this person willingly then you are kind of asking for their negativity.  Instead of starting conversations, just keep to yourself and let them approach you.  That way you aren't choosing to initiate a conversation that may turn into a bitchfest.

[4] Call Them Out
Sometimes you need to straight up call people out.  The next time they complain about how much they hate their job or their boss just say "Your attitude about all this seems to really be taking a toll on you, you should really try to be a little bit more positive just for your own sake."  It's not like you're insulting them, you are simply making an observation and a suggesstion.

[5] Drive Them Nuts With Positivity
So your cubemate comes up and immediately has to bash another coworker's new hairstyle.  Saying something like "I like it, plus Susan's always so helpful to me."  This will likely cancel out their negativity and they may even look stunned like they don't know what hit them.

Have you ever had an experience with a negative coworker?








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2 comments:

  1. I recently took up a seasonal job at the mall and the assistant manager was so rude and negative I had to quit. Great tips though!! <3

    Kind regards,
    loyaltofashion.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugh that is the worse! good for you for getting away from that! thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete

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