Building and running a business in today’s highly competitive world invites many challenges. There are aggressive targets, exhaustive business plans and consistent time constraints.
A workplace that chases ambitious goals also demands its employees to perform in a high-stress atmosphere. And if the environment is not conducive, negative situations can be a common issue.
45% of employees say stress is one of the top negative emotions they feel in the workplace.
Any business is bound to experience feats and failures, but even the smallest of unpleasant experiences can quickly trickle down the organisation and affect the overall business.
This article talks about the importance of addressing displeasing situations at the workplace and maintaining a positive attitude in a negative situation for a business to be truly able to achieve success.
What causes negative situations at work?
A bad work environment isn’t always a reflection of how the business is performing. More often than not it’s the absence of policies and people who can nurture the right attitude. Here are the root causes of a negative situation at work.
Improper communication: There is ambiguity in tasks and goals. Employees are unable to fetch timely responses or get their issues resolved
Unclear objectives: The business hasn’t laid down targets or is not transparent about them with its workforce
Micromanagement: The managers supervise their team’s work too closely without allowing any room to independently complete tasks or take decisions
Favouritism: Undue and unfair favours are extended to selective employees
Poor leadership: The leadership doesn’t encourage a democratic environment and is unavailable to engage with the organisation.
Long work hours: Employees are expected to extend their work timings and be available out of office hours
Absence of company values: The firm either does not have a set of operational guidelines and core values or does not follow them
How does negativity affect your work and business?
The eventual result of an unpleasant workplace is the inability of a business to reach its potential despite having adequate resources and funds. Here’s how negativity affects a workplace
- Unsatisfactory performance and output
- A high attrition rate
- Bad workplace reviews that affect recruitments
- Reduced efficiency during teamwork
- Consequences on employees’ physical and mental health
- An unfavourable business reputation
Also Read: Importance of Customer Service for Your Business
Measures to maintain a positive attitude in negative situation at work
1. Build a positive workplace culture
A workplace culture constitutes a set of guidelines promoted by the founders in order to create a healthy and productive environment. It endows a character to the company that its employees are expected to adhere to.
Every employee contributes to the process and helps foster it further. A strong workplace culture emphasises on retaining a positive environment. Here are some ways to build a healthy culture
Community: Forge unity and build a community which can depend on each other. Promote team events and celebrations, encourage knowledge sharing and make recognition a regular practice.
Fairness: In addition to fair compensation, ensure that every employee is given equal opportunity and voice irrespective of their designation or organisational hierarchy.
Trust: Act on the problems that your employees share, maintain consistency and be transparent about the business
Receptiveness: Learn to ask questions and also learn to be a good listener
2. Hire the right management
It is often said that people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their boss, indicating how a management team can make or break an organisation. Managers can be instrumental in supporting, motivating and ensuring a meaningful work experience for employees.
Being merely an experienced leader is not enough to be a good manager. They should be competent enough to build a positive attitude and ably manage each team member. Here are some important skill sets.
Soft skills: Leaders should possess strong interpersonal skills, learn to adapt quickly, and have an aptitude for effective problem-solving
Inclusiveness: A manager should be able to offer an equal platform to every employee and make them feel valued irrespective of the differences that might exist
Pressure handling capacity: They should display a strong ability to work under pressure and effectively handle taxing situations especially when there are tight work deadlines to meet.
3. Promote wellness
Workplaces are increasingly becoming a leading cause of stress resulting in negative attitudes and situations. It should be a top priority for organisations to promote wellness and help their people stay mentally as well as physically fit.
According to a report, seven in 10 Indian workers (70 per cent) said that they were experiencing stress at least once during the working week on a regular basis. Some of the primary ways to promote wellness include:
Encourage short breaks: Help employees recover from their physical and mental fatigue, increase their productivity and help them focus better through quick breaks and pauses
Introduce wellness workshops: Hold talks and seminars that offer tools, techniques & modalities for employees to work on their well-being leading to a positive change in their professional lives
Promote strict work hours: Support a healthy work-life balance by discouraging work-related meetings and discussions outside of work hours
4. Invest in training and onboarding
Training is an inevitable part of acquainting a new employee with the company culture, people and their work. Yet, very few companies invest enough in the process. Every person comes with prior prejudices and perceptions that need addressal.
70% of employees who had exceptional onboarding experiences say they have “the best possible job.” These employees are also 2.6 times as likely to be extremely satisfied with their workplace — and consequently, far more likely to stay.
Here’s how good training helps align people with the business and culture
- Integrates people with the organisational culture
- Familiarises people with the company vision and mission
- Educates new employees on the code of conduct and workplace rules
- Helps people seamlessly adapt to the new place
- Sets expectations and ensures workplace compliance
5. Emphasise on connections
Connections are crucial not only between people at the organisation but also with the vision of the company. Employees need to constantly feel associated with their workplace to be able to cultivate a positive environment.
Working in silos creates a disconnect and can be a prime reason for hostile and negative situations. Strong connections can be achieved by enabling active participation and frequent interactions.
Some of the ways to improve connections are:
- Promote cross-team collaborations in addition to teamwork
- Dedicate days for social events and interactions
- Update your employees on the business growth and achievements
- Make your employees feel an important part of the business and its growth
- Hold mentoring and cross-training sessions to expand capabilities
Also Read: Marketing Mix: Are the 4 Ps Still Relevant Today?
Conclusion
Ensuring a positive attitude in negative situation is a long process requiring consistent efforts, especially in an organisational setup. If you want to have high-performing teams, maintain business continuity and navigate your business through negative circumstances, it is crucial that the workplace promotes a healthy environment.
The results shall soon reflect on the business in the form of tangible outcomes including better productivity, higher turnover and lower costs.
