Top Four Reasons Why Negative Coworkers Suck

1) Negative coworkers are always complaining: Doesn’t matter whether they are having a good day, or a bad day. They will find a reason to complain. Case in point: My coworker made a ton of sales the other day. You know what he did after his last customer left? He complained about how busy he was! “Are you kidding me,” I said. “Be glad you were busy. That means you made money.”

2) Misery loves company: Boy, oh boy. For whatever reasons, negative people love to get you on their side and love it when you begin complaining with them. It’s not enough for them to come to you when you’re all minding your business and happy, getting your work load taken care of. They gotta come to your office/cube and bring that damn angry gray cloud.

3) They like to get in your head and sabotage your game: I don’t know about your profession, but I work in sales, and I swear the most negative people in this industry are negative gripers for a reason. It’s to steal your sales. How do they accomplish this? Well, if you aren’t naturally negative or a complainer, they will get in your head and make you negative. They’ll complain about the company and everything under the sun. Then, when you become negative, you’re less productive. That person who got you all in a funk will then make a move to swoop in and take your sales. (The way to combat this is to ask them one question. Say, “If things are so bad, why are you still working here?” That shuts them down every time.)

4) Negative Nancy ain’t going anywhere: These people never go anywhere. They don’t advance up the ladder at the job, but they don’t ever quit either. They love where the position, because they’re usually successful. The thing is they don’t want anyone else to be successful. They’d rather complain about their position and try to hold you back.

My advice? Stay away from these energy vampires. They mean you no good. It’s tough to beat them, so most of us end up joining them. Try not to get sucked in.

Here's what the pros say about dealing with Negative Nancy Coworkers

Learn techniques for how to work with negative coworkers

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...Or Hardly Working Tip of the Day: Working with The Office Grouch

I think we've all run into this problem, as it's very common. There's always one to every office and unfortunately you may have to actually interact with this person more frequently than you'd like. In either case, I'm talking about the office grump --The "Oscar" of your cubicle block so to speak. How do you handle said party pooper whose always gushing negativity, telling you what he will or will not do, and complaining about every little thing? Below are two scenarios and a few tips to get you through your work day. Hope you find them helpful.

Mr. Grinch is late on an assignment and your boss tells you that you're responsible for collecting it:

1. Do Not Panic: Your first step is to send Mr. Meany an email as soon as you learn your mission. If he doesn't respond in a timely manner, unfortunately this means you will need to confront him. Don't be afraid. Grouches can sense fear and if he gets a whiff that you're even slightly nervous, you've lost the battle before you even pic up a weapon.

2. Approach with Moxy: Confidently approach the grump and firmly state your business.

3. Control the Convo: Before he can fix his tight lips to rebut, tell him your manager has put you in charge of this project and that you need his input as soon as possible. In fact give him a deadline. Tell him you really wish you could be more flexible, but your hands are tied.

4. Get In and Get Out: After you've told him your business and set the deadline, leave posthaste! You don't want to be around for the complaints that are bound to begin pouring out of the grump's mouth. More importantly, this doesn't give the grump a chance to hunt for any weak points in your stance.

You have to work closely with the mean girl on a new project:

1. Make like a duck: In this instance you've gotta develop a tough skin thick enough to let crap roll off of you like water off a duck's back.

2. Never respond in kind: If she's always packing attitude, not being cooperative and shooting down your ideas, just let it go. Never react and mirror her negative attitude. It doesn't help anything and may get you into trouble. Try being as diplomatic as possible. Remind her of the deadline, which may help get the ball rolling.

3. Ask to work with someone else, or on a different assignment: Hey, sometimes it's impossible to work with grouchy people. Pull your manager aside and tell him what the deal is. Make sure you have facts to back up the reason you want to switch partners, or else you'll be stuck.

4. Get to know the Grinch: That's right you read it! Maybe the Grinch is a nice guy deep down. Try to find out more about him. Does he have a family? Does he enjoy his job? What are his hobbies? You'd be surprised at what you'll find out if you take the time to learn about your co-worker!

Hope these tips start you on the path to a better relationship with the resident office Negative Nancy. And if all else fails, make sure to keep your resume updated and active on those nifty job search sites! (but that's no guarantee of escape either) If you have any tips leave them in the comment box. We'd love to hear them.

-the gurus










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