When does negativity become chronic negativity?

Occasional negative feelings at work are normal. High-pressure deadlines, miscommunications, and other challenging situations can easily cause fleeting negative emotions. And it’s normal for employees to sometimes need to vent so they can move on productively.

But what happens when these emotions aren’t fleeting? What if an employee is no longer venting their frustrations, but instead complaining to anyone who will listen? At what point does a negative emotion cross over into an unproductive attitude? And when is it time to give feedback?

How Does Negativity Start?

Chronic negativity rarely appears out of nowhere: it often begins with a real complaint or frustration. This moment is key, and if dealt with correctly, you can often save everyone a lot of time (and frustration).

If your company does not have a positive feedback culture already in place, things can start to go downhill fast from here. 

In an ideal situation, an employee who has had a negative experience would have an immediate and direct conversation with their manager, discussing what exactly the employee’s complaints are, and potential solutions to these issues. But if there is not a positive feedback culture in place, what often happens is either:

1. the employee hasn’t built trust with their manager, and so they don’t say anything,

2. the employee talks to their manager and their manager does nothing or is dismissive, or

3. the manager gives feedback, the employee acknowledges it and agrees to change, but continues the behavior.

So instead of healthily venting up, negativity starts to take root.

Is Negativity Contagious?

Once negativity takes root in an employee, if left unchecked, it can often spread to groups, which is called social contagion. Complaining with co-workers can create bonds, and overtime, negativity can become the entire group’s outlook, rather than just the feeling of the original employee.

What was a standalone problem may now feel pervasive if multiple people are talking about it. This may lead employees to think leadership doesn’t want to deal with real problems, when in fact, leadership may be unaware that these problems are circulating (or managers are dealing with problems, it’s just taking time). 

How to Stop the Spread

The only way to deal with a chronically negative employee is directly. The first step should always be that the manager sits down with the employee, lets them know what behaviors need to change, and describes the employee’s impact. Make sure expectations are clear and document the conversation. Also, managers should be open to hearing feedback during these conversations –– some root causes such as misalignment may be able to be addressed directly.

If after ~2-4 weeks or multiple repeat offenses, the behavior doesn’t change after clear and documented feedback, the employee is resistant to the feedback, and/or team morale is suffering, it may be time to create a more structured plan for improvement, ensuring the employee knows the consequences and path forward. If you have HR, this is a great point to get them involved to support both the manager and employee.

Feedback is the key to nipping this type of behavior in the bud. If you’re looking for help putting a positive feedback culture in place, Kindred Works can help!