Everyone has reason to become negative about his/her work from time to time. Workplaces are composed of people with various personalities and attitudes, which can become negative when there are deadlines to be met, and challenging tasks to be completed.  There is no set solution to preventing negativity in the workplace, but guidelines should be put in place so the employees are held to a certain expectation of behavior when the environment gets tense. It is up to the HR manager or team lead to deal with workplace negativity.

Have an open discussion with the team. Discuss the consequences of negativity and how it directly affects the efficiency and productivity of the team.  One way to do this is to make sure the team is open and comfortable to having hard conversations.  It’s not easy to begin the awkward talk about how to talk nicely to one another or how to calm down after a stressful day since everyone has different ways of expressing how they feel.  But once one person starts talking, others will chime in.  This is also a way to maintain good relationships on the team, because these hard conversations can turn into bonding moments that will naturally eliminate tension and negative feelings. 

Stop gossiping in the workplace. When you hear people gossiping about a coworker, stop and think before contributing to the conversation and ask yourself how or even if it affects your personal work.  Getting distracted by some lunchtime gossip can have a tremendous negative effect on the workplace environment by wasting time, and failing to meet goals. Instead, offer that coworker help if you have some free time. It will make you feel good, and will benefit the overall performance of the team. 

Stamp out minor conflicts before they escalate. Rampant negativity does not develop overnight. Such an attitude tends to grow over time, over a number of minor incidents. Therefore, you may be able to prevent negativity from affecting your workplace if you can nip these negativity-inducing situations in the bud before they fester and get worse. These are actions you should avoid.
• Ignoring minor problems.
• Approaching a problem in a confrontational, instead of a problem-solving, manner.
• Talking about a problem to those without a need-to-know, or those who tend to gossip.
• Failing to recognize any part that you may have in the situation.
• Attempting to get others to see things your way — about everything.
• Refusing to seek help when it is needed.
• Failing to set limits and specify consequences for poor behavior.

Draw positivity into the workplace. Just as negativity can be contagious, so can optimism. So instead of focusing on and talking in terms of “negatives,” here are some pointers for firing up the optimism in employees. Keep a copy of this list on your desk, so you can be sure to remember to use one or more of these tactics on a daily basis.
• Boost morale. Sing employees’ praises, reward a job well done, get down in the trenches and show employees that you’re willing to roll up your sleeves.
• Solicit feedback. Always ask for employees’ opinions before making 9 major decisions which will affect them. Even if you don’t implement them, show your appreciation for any suggestions employees make.
• Stimulate growth. Lack of job advancement can drag employee morale down. However, encouraging employees to learn and get additional skills training can at least provide job growth. Challenge employees to do new, better things.

Everyday is a New Day  Everyone has bad days.  You slept through your alarm, were late to work, and all the bagels were gone.  We have all been there and feel your pain.  But that most likely won’t happen again tomorrow…or the day after tomorrow.  The way you feel can be transparent in a workplace and can rub off on your peers.  You don’t want to be responsible for someone else feeling as down as you, so think of ways to bring yourself back to reality to prevent negativity.  Imagine your friend is having a bad day; what advice would you give them?  Try to give yourself that advice.  If you have a bad day at work, remember that tomorrow is a new day.  One day you spend being negative is a day you lose being positive.