Develop the "Flip side" to Overcome Negativity at Work

Negativity Question Change

What do you do when someone criticizes a manager at work? Do you jump right in to add more details? One phenomenon about negativity is that it breeds more negatives. Have you ever noticed that? Next time you hear someone in a meeting offer a “criticism” quietly take note of what follows and you’ll quickly see what I mean. But, what to do?

One way to deal with negativity is to “run from negative people.” If you are prone to fall into negativity when you are around a negative person, then running from them is a first step to defeat the negatives in your life. But, once you've learned to do this, what other steps might you take?

Lately I’ve reflected more about other approaches to negatives that come to each of us daily. All of us are in the position of dealing with negative people that we simply can’t avoid. When Ellen Weber interviewed Dr. Sam Walton to learn his views on creativity in in relation to his life experiences, he said, “a problem is the flip side of an opportunity.” This strategy help you move in a new direction as you deal with negative people. I suggest two additional approaches to begin changing the way you deal with negativity:

“Flip side” mindset: If you can adopt a “flip side” mindset, you’ll find it easier to overcome problems that in past propelled negative thinking. By immediately seeking a solution to turn a problem around, you are setting up a challenge for your brain. The human brain thrives on puzzles and challenges. Our brains shoot into solution mode when presented with a challenge even though we are unaware of the activity in our subconscious.

Question possibilities: A second strategy is to ask the person a question that turns the problem to a possibility. For instance, if someone at work tells you, “You'll soon get a pink slip because Joe Doe just received his and it is only a matter of time…” You might ask something like, “What are your plans for a new job…where would you enjoy working?” This immediately changes the focus from the negative into something that could work for and energize that person. But to generate the flip side, you should ask question almost immediately to prevent negativity from mushrooming.

Consider the flip side and questioning for possibilities as starting places to create positive outcomes... and less failure when negatives might otherwise stifle positive outcomes at your work place.

What solutions would you suggest?