Students, parents, counselors, teachers—most of us have had experience leading or working alongside someone who doesn’t exactly exude sunny positivity. It’s the complainer. It’s the one who’s always quick to point out why an idea won’t work. It’s the person who’s the first to place blame and the last to offer praise. As a leader, manager, or coworker, can you change that person? Can you get them to offer productive solutions instead of just counter-productive naysaying?
Two of the most prolific current thinkers and writers on the topic of management are Marcus Buckingham and Adam Grant. Coincidentally, both recently published some suggested solutions around this topic: Buckingham’s short video “How to Motivate a Negative Employee” and the Fast Company piece “Adam Grant Can Help You Coax Generosity Out Of Your Grumpiest Coworker.”
I can’t tell you how many college essays admissions officers read from students who claim to have either learned leadership lessons or come to appreciate the value of teamwork (sometimes they claim that appreciation of teamwork is the leadership lesson learned). What makes those essays cliché is the lack of detail. They insert the deep meaning into the story by asserting that they’ve learned or demonstrated an admirable trait, but without specific examples, the essays read just like all the others on the same topic.
Imagine the story you could tell if you’d motivated or otherwise improved the contributions of the negative person on your team. And even more importantly, imagine the broad impact you’d make if you were the person who could make that change.
That negative person just might be presenting an opportunity for the right leader, manager, coworker, or teammate.