Companies, like 3M, recognize that you can’t afford to have negative, non-performing employees on the payroll. When 3M management laid off the bottom 10% (the poorest performers) at one facility—their productivity skyrocketed 18%. When they laid off another 10% (the next poorest performers) —productivity went up another 5%. It was clear that negative employees not only are less productive, they cost more to have around.
Negative employees often are “retired on the job.” That is, they are spending time waiting for retirement, vacation, or a personal day. They do just enough to get by and stay off the radar screen. They are grueling to supervise as their performance and attitude are slippery and difficult to quantify and explain. Yet, their negative force in the organization is felt by the team and the bottom line.
If positive energy is so important, then why does negativity cost companies 300 billion dollars a years according to Gallup Organization? Because positive energy doesn’t just happen by osmosis or at a once a year motivational conference. Successful companies know that positive cultures are created like anything else. They develop processes, systems, and habits that are ingrained in the corporate culture and each individual employee.
Here are seven characteristics of a positive employee that you should look for in your team and yourself:
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Positive employees enjoy their work. Yes, a job is still a job and there is always something to complain about if you look for it. But positive employees decide that they will like their jobs and approach each day with anticipation. They focus on the pluses of their situation not the negatives. They are grateful to have a position that works for their life and pays the bills.
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Positive employees practice thought stopping. A technique for replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, thought stopping is a conscious decision to change thinking habits. Like a highway, negative thoughts have well established neurological pathways through your brain. The more traffic the pathway gets, the larger it becomes until it is automatic. Create a new pathway by replacing a negative thought immediately with a positive one. Say it out loud or write it down. After two or three weeks of practice, the new positive thoughts will become second nature.
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Positive employees know that hard work brings its own rewards. Of course hard work is good for the company and good for the customer. But the best employees work hard because it is also good for them. They know that it brings its own rewards and feeds competence and self-esteem. Positive employees know that it is possible to “dry rot” when their talents, creativity, and energy are not used for positive results.
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Positive employees see the upside to every situation. Anyone can find the negatives in a situation but winners stay motivated by seeing the positives. They let go of minor annoyances and look at how they can make things better. They know that challenges offer learning opportunities. They use humor to help keep a perspective and balance their lives.
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Positive employees stay away from the energy suckers. They know that energy suckers are contagious and they don’t want to get infected. Positive employees avoid the negative grapevine and don’t participate by listening. While the negative employee may view them as “pollyannish,” the positive employee knows that life is a lot more fun without the negativity.
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Positive employees require positive leaders. To build a positive company it is essential to not only have positive leaders but a leadership team who believes in nurturing and developing a culture of positive energy. Energy flows in all directions but can be buried if there is not attention from the top. There must be a commitment and plan to nurture the culture and the employees.
