How to Deal with Negative People: 7 Positive Shifts To Overcome Workplace Negativity!

Hello, Believe Nation. My name is Evan Carmichael. My one word is believe, and I believe that entrepreneurs are going to solve all the major problems of the world. So to help you on your path, in today's video we're going to talk about 7 ways to manage negative people at work. And as always, guys, as you're listening, if you hear something that really resonates with you, please leave it down in the comments below. Put quotes around it so other people can be inspired as well. And when you write it down, it's much more likely to stick with yourself too. Enjoy. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. So one of the most difficult things about being in a work environment is being around negative people. I think even just in home and in general, being around negative people sucks. And being able to navigate around and with those people can sometimes be important on your journey And so today I'm gonna share with you 7 different ways to do it that I hope will inspire you and help you on your path. My number one way to manage negative people is don't. Don't be around negative people. Eliminate them from your life. This is what I try to do as much as possible in my own life. This may not be the answer that you're looking for, and there's more that are coming, but it's my best answer because if you are surrounded by negative people constantly, you're gonna get more negative, you're gonna be unhappy, you're not gonna reach your potential. And so if I was in a work environment and this person was really negative being around me all the time, I might try to transfer, I might look for other opportunities, I might even look at a different company, or maybe even leaving and starting my own business and being an entrepreneur. If you are an entrepreneur and you have negative people on your team, then that's an easier decision. If somebody is really skilled and does a great job but they're negative, they have to go. You cannot be surrounded by negative people 'cause they don't only bring you down, they'll bring everybody else around you down. And so you need to have people who are positive, who are excited about the project that you're trying to build. My number 2 technique for managing negative people is to limit your exposure. So if you are forced to deal with negative people, I would try to limit how much exposure I have to them. How much time I have to spend with them, would be at the bare minimum just to get whatever project I'm trying to do and get it done. And so the first two points are pretty negative, right? It's avoid them, have zero exposure. The second one is to limit your exposure. And why? You know, if I'm thinking, well, I wanna be a positive influence, I wanna help them, I wanna build them up. Yes, that's definitely a possibility. The reason why I start with the negative is because the opportunity cost is so great. For you to spend your time managing somebody who is negative. They will eat up so much of your time and emotional capital and drain you because they're so different than you, and getting them to the place where they can be happy is such a big journey that you could spend that time helping 10 other people. And so I've always experienced that the people who are negative take the most work to turn around, and usually it's not worth your time compared to the the other people who you could be helping. So that's why my first two are really negative around not being around them at all or limiting your exposure. [MUSIC] All right, now let's jump to the positive side. Number 3 is being inspiration. So we have to be around these negative people, we have no other option, they're super important, and we wanna be the force for good. You can be an inspiration to build people up. And so I think of when, when women first get together in an office setting, eventually their periods start to align together. That kind of happens with everything. If you are around toxic people, you're more likely to be toxic on an ongoing basis. If you're around people who are working out all the time, you're more likely to want to work out and take care of yourself. If you're around complainers, you're going to start complaining more. And so you become your environment. So if you have that awareness, you could be an inspiration for that person. By them just being around you, you are going to pull them up. I used to volunteer at a hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital here in Toronto, and one of my shifts was with this woman who was in charge of the phones on her floor. She would always pick up the phone in a kind of very angry way. "C2 Laura, C2 Laura." It was kind of very angry, and it was kind of against how I would do things and just the vibe I wanted to put out. And by spending more and more time with her, eventually she got more positive. Said, "Si tu, Laura." "Si tu, this is Laura speaking." And it slowly got more and more and more and more positive. Now, as I left Sunnybrook and my volunteer shift ended, I don't know if that continued or if she fell back to her usual path, but expect that to happen. You know, the more they are around you, I want you to be a force for good, right? When you find your one word, whatever that is, that exudes out of you in every situation that you go to. So if you are around me, for any consistent period of time, even from watching the videos, you're gonna believe harder, you're gonna believe stronger in yourself, in your ideas, in the people around you, because that's what I'm all about. You can't be in my circle and not gain a little bit more belief. It's just going to happen. So that should be you with your one word, getting out there and being an inspiration for people. The danger is that, as I said, two people tend to come together The danger is that you become more toxic and you become more negative. So you need to have enough other stuff in your environment that keeps you at a high level that pulls them to you instead of you going to them.

Tip number 4 is to come from a place of understanding. I think a lot of people's negativity is actually deeply rooted into something else beyond what they're complaining about. So I had a situation with a negative person on my team. They were constantly putting others down. They were constantly paranoid about what the company situation is going to be like, and they were also gossiping a lot and spreading rumors. And every single day he would complain. I would ask him how his day is going and he would just say, "It's terrible." And it got to a point that it was actually starting to make me feel negative about my situation at work. And then finally I had to have a sit-down conversation with him. With him. I wanted to find out why he was being so negative. Then he revealed to me that he was paranoid of losing his job. He would wake up every morning with a fear that he won't be able to feed his family. He will not be able to go on that vacation that he promised his wife. Although I wasn't able to promise him the job security that he wanted, I was able to provide him with the security and safety that he had someone at work that he could confide in. And little by little, I started to see more positivity come out of him, especially towards me, which made my life at work a lot easier. So the next time you come across someone negative, before you write them off, try to come from a place of understanding.

Number 5 is figure out their dream. I like to say that one of the most dangerous things that you can do is tell me what your dream is. If I know what your dream is, then then I am always thinking about how do I help this person get this thing that they wanna do and pushing you to get past those limiting beliefs and the negative mindsets to help you go off and accomplish your big thing. And so even the most negative person has some kind of dream. They may not feel it's possible, they may feel like the world is against them and that people conspiring to keep them down, but somewhere deep down inside they have a dream of something that they want to accomplish. Accomplish. And so if you can figure out what their dream is and then find ways to help them accomplish it, be their friend, be their accountability partner, give them some resources, give them some motivational boost, share things with them to help them lift up and get towards that goal, then it's really hard to be making progress towards your dream and being negative and unhappy at the same time. And so guiding them along that path and encouraging them will help turn that tide and turn them from being from being super negative to a more positive. Number 6 is recognize their good behavior. This is basic parenting skills, or if you are trying to train a dog, it's kind of the same thing. You have two options: you either punish their bad behavior or you recognize their good behavior. And you may not be in a position to punish them for their bad behaviors, and it may be actually what they want because they seek the attention, they love going to a negative place. And so if I was dealing with that kind of person, I had to deal with them, then I'd be looking at the negative stuff I'm just gonna ignore. And anytime there is something positive that they do for me or the mindset that they have or something that they shared that was happy or funny or positive, I would go all in on encouraging that and thank them and appreciate them. Not in a fake way, not in a way that they see obviously right through, but in a genuine way of you really connecting to that thing that they did for you and thanking them. Maybe buying them, you know, a little cupcake or something as a show of appreciation because negative people aren't surrounded by a lot of positivity in general. It's how they become so negative. And so by you recognizing the good deeds that they did, giving them some appreciation, giving them some rewards, they're gonna wanna do it again and again and again and lift out of that negativity. And my number 7 way to deal with negative people is help them find a happier place. Quite often negative people are so bummed out by their position, by their work, they're not passionate about it anymore, they don't, you know, have that desire to be there anymore, and everybody would be happier if they moved on. It kind of ties a little bit into understanding what their dream is, because often if they have a dream and they're doing something totally different, then they're going to be negative and unhappy. They're going to see other people who are off accomplishing these great things in the field that they want to be in, and they're stuck. In this job that they hate. And so helping push them to follow that dream, find a happier place, go pursue that passion is great for them because they're happier, they're off doing the thing that they need, and sometimes they just need a little bit of a push. And it's great for you because now you don't have to deal with this negative person in your work environment anymore. So those are my top 7 ways on how to manage negative people at work. I'd love to know what did you guys think? What was your favorite one? Which one really hit home? What can you apply to your business or maybe your life immediately? Leave it down in the comments below. Did I miss an 8, 9, 10 that you guys wanna add to the list? I'm really curious to find out. I made this video because Luis Torelli asked me to, so if there's a topic you'd like me to cover in a future 7 Ways series, check out the link in the description and go and cast your vote. I also wanna give a quick shout out to Frodo from the Actualize YouTube channel. Thank you so much, man, for picking up a copy of my book, Your One Word, and doing the review on your channel. I really, really appreciate the support and I'm so glad that you love the book. So thank you guys so much for watching. I believe in you. I hope you continue to believe in yourself and whatever your one word is. Much love. I'll see you soon.