Every organization has Problem People.
I’m not talking about the cool kind, who ignore the rules and get things done and ask for forgiveness later.
I’m talking about the miserable kind.
I’m constantly having conversations with executives who describe the Problem People on their teams. Many of them are decent at their jobs, and technically not underperforming.
So what’s their problem? Attitude.
They’re jaded. They know everything. They blame their boss for their bad review. They blame their co-workers and subordinates for everything else. They interrupt colleagues in meetings. They scoff at new ideas. They won’t help others succeed because they feel threatened. They take advice as a personal affront.
They’re experienced and skilled, and that’s the problem. They don’t see a need to improve, they see a need to be “right”.
Below are 3 things Problem People don’t realize. These are warnings about the dire career consequences of negativity, followed by some ways you can proactively address it.
1. NEGATIVITY LOOKS JUST LIKE INCOMPETENCE.
When a boss takes a mental snapshot of their team, they don’t always see a layered and complex set of capabilities and weaknesses all balancing each other out.
They see the sum of the energy.
It doesn’t matter how smart you are. If the energy you bring into the workplace is negative, you’re a problem. Your boss has enough problems.
You think your complaining is rightfully calling out issues so someone else can fix them. What your complaining is really doing is identifying you as the bad apple.
2. NEGATIVITY DESTROYS CULTURE.
In his book The Culture Code, author Daniel Coyle outlines the "bad apple" experiment, in which one person with negative energy is placed on an otherwise productive team.
In that experiment, it didn’t matter what type of negative energy it was — aggressive, lazy, pessimistic — any negative energy reduced the overall output of the team by 30-40%.
Individual behaviors (not individual capabilities) have an outsized affect on group dynamic. Your bad attitude cancels out your good work.
3. NEGATIVITY WILL END YOUR CAREER.
The future of work is lean and profitable business. Small teams of high performers, leveraging automation and offshore workers.
Lots of interesting things have been said and written on the topic, and it doesn’t take a futurist to predict that mediocrity will have less and less of a place in the workforce. Those who insist on being miserable will be the first to go.
What do good job markets and bad job markets have in common? In both, 20% of people are creating 80% of the results. AI is not the biggest threat to your job. Your unwillingness to join the 20% is.
THE GOOD NEWS
Of course, I’m certain that none of you reading this are Problem People. But just in case you feel yourself slipping in that direction, here are some ways to self-correct.
1. You’re not wrong for thinking negative. Most organizations are messy and sub-optimal; you’re just bringing more attention to that fact. But understand that good energy isn’t about what’s true, it’s about what’s possible.
Dwelling on the negative, even if the negative is real, helps no one. The first thing you can practice is shifting your view from what’s going wrong to what can be done about it. Simply replacing complaining with solution-biased activity will change perception and lift vibes.
2. When a boss identifies a Problem Person, they have two options: address the attitude, or remove the employee. They’d much prefer option 1, which puts you in a good position, all things considered. See it as a golden opportunity to have an uncomfortable conversation, improve your yourself, improve your team, and revise your whole career trajectory.
3. Imagine your boss says this to you: “I think you have more to give.”
Are you excited or offended?
Do you see this as an acknowledgement of higher potential inside you, and an offer to help pull it out?
Or as a personal insult; a lack of appreciation for your current contributions?
You get to choose which way to take it.
Most people don’t proactively change. Those who do, elevate themselves. The bar is low and the door is wide open.
