It’s important to note that everyone has good days and bad days. Losing a client, flubbing a presentation or even having a frustrating commute can put a generally kind and even-keeled person in a bad mood. A bad attitude, however, is typically a state of mind, and it has the potential to permeate a workplace and drag everyone down with it. If you’re a colleague, you may be able to steer clear of this personality type or steel yourself for necessary interactions; as a manager, you may need to choose between redirecting behavior or letting a bad attitude staffer go, rather than run the risk of alienating other employees.
A negative attitude doesn’t just put others in a bad mood – it also has a tangible, measurable impact on how an office functions. Here are some of the effects of an unchecked negative attitude:
Negativity can breed contempt and create an environment where there’s no incentive to try, colleagues don’t trust one another and people strive to get through the day rather than thrive, succeed and take initiative.
When there are positive attitudes in a workplace, there’s a feeling that anything can be accomplished. Colleagues support each other and work in tandem, and a host of other positive outcomes materialize, such as:
Positivity can be contagious, where everyone feels like they’re on the same team, the effort is collective, and everyone’s ideas are valued and welcomed.