You know, the one who comes in a bad mood, and in minutes the atmosphere of the whole office has sunk like a brick. Nobody wants to work with him, nobody likes to talk to him, and people do everything possible to avoid it in the corridors.
Negative employees can wreak havoc on a small business. Not only do they lower the productivity of everyone else, but they also make the fear of your team start up. Negatively it is like any virus: it spreads easily.
If you have a toxic person on your team, it is vital that you try to turn them around or let them go.
Start talking to them
If you have not approached them before, start by talking to them about their attitude. It is possible that they have a specific reason why they have been so unhappy, and if you can easily solve it, this is the best way to turn them around.
Ask them specific questions. Is your attitude related to something specific at work? Are you having problems at home? Are you too stressed with your tasks?
Finding the root cause is important. Of course, if you are just a negative person in general, you can not do much.
Keep it private
It is important not to punish the person in front of others. When talking with them about their attitude, do it in the privacy of your office. Nobody likes the audience when they have done something wrong, and making it public will probably make them act even more.
Communicate clearly your expectations
Make sure the employee knows that their attitude is unacceptable. Everyone in your business should be treated with courtesy and respect. If they do not have something nice or constructive to say, then they should keep quiet.
Many negative employees initiate or perpetuate gossip in a company. And, gossip is incredibly toxic. If this person is contributing to the gossip factory, then they should stop immediately. Gossip creates animosity, tension and stress, and your team does not need that.
Communicate consequences
It is important to be clear that there will be consequences if they do not change their behavior. If there are no improvements after a certain period of time, you may have to let them go.
The threat of job loss can be a great motivator for change, so if all else fails, make sure you know that this is an option.