Negative co-workers can be killing your productivity

That complainer sitting next to you at work could be killing your productivity. The reality is that we all have a bad day now and again and pressures can get the best of us. This is normal, but it's important to not let this negativity turn into an everyday occurrence. A bad attitude can not only affect your work performance and output, but it can also affect your co-workers' workdays and even, perhaps, how your boss views you.

We all face negative people on a daily basis and dealing with them is always a learning experience. While people can try to get you down, you have got a choice in how you react to them.

 "Now tell me something positive"

Some people have no idea how negative they've become. That's what they're surrounded by day in and day out so it's just become a way of life for them. Right after they've finished telling you some tragic story, say to them, "now tell me a positive story". By being given the reminder, they may actually realize that being negative isn't the kind of person they want to be and may start to work on becoming more positive. Or, they may decide it's not worth telling you their horror stories because you'll ask them to think of something positive.

Be Mindful of the Time You Spend with Them

When dealing with draining co-workers it is in your own interest to limit the time you spend with them. When someone engages with you keep mentioning to the person that you have work to do and you can only listen to them for a minute. If after a few minutes, the person is still going on about the same negative thing then either change the conversation or politely but firmly end the discussion.

Lighten up conversation

Some negative people are triggered by certain topics. Bring in a new topic to lighten the mood. Simple things like new movies, daily occurrences, common friends, make for light conversation. Keep it to areas the person feels positive towards.

There's no "cure" for negative people, but there are ways to lessen their impact on you. Focus your attention on the positive. Make sure you have at least as many positive influences as negative.

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