Dear Colleague
I found this blog on the website Caring for the Caregiver (see link below)
7 Strategies for Dealing With Negative People A guest Post by Jacqueline Whitmore
We know that dealing with negative colleagues can take its toll. Use these seven strategies to better deal with negative people in your life.
1. Set boundaries.
Don’t feel pressured to sit and listen to a negative person. If you must be around a negative person, try to keep your interactions short. You can’t control the negative behaviour, but you can control whether or not you engage.
2. Avoid complainers.
People who complain about everything will never enhance your life. They don’t offer solutions, only point out problems. emotional pity party. Only deal with him or her if you absolutely must.
3. Weed out negative employees.
Your company culture is a critical part of your brand. One toxic staff member can affect the entire culture of your business. The quicker you deal with a negative co-worker, the quicker you will be able to resolve the situation. Have a meeting, convey your concerns and give the person a chance to change.
4. Choose your battles.
Don’t engage every time someone irritates you. Rather than argue, try to ignore any negative comments. Control your emotions and prevent the situation from escalating. Walk away from unnecessary conflict. You’ll be respected for taking the high road.
5. Don’t over analyse the situation.
Negative people can sometimes behave irrationally. You will waste valuable time and energy if you try to make sense of their actions.
6. Develop a support system.
Build a network of positive friends, acquaintances and professional contacts.. Have the emotional intelligence to recognize when you need help. When you find yourself becoming overly emotional, call a friend or mentor and calmly explain the situation. Oftentimes an objective person can provide you with a different perspective or a new approach.
7. Embody positivity.
Your happiness and wellbeing are too important to let anyone’s negative opinion or rude comments bring you down or affect how you view yourself. Remain positive and begin to limit your time with the negative individuals in your life. With any luck, your positivity will be repugnant to toxic people and they will gradually fall away naturally.