I agree. A negative instructor can not only bring down a class but also the co-workers that have to listen to the constant griping. I am guilty of this myself at times and work hard at not getting into this type of attitude. It's very counter productive and may eventually lead to "counter-employment" if the wrong people hear it. The students bring enough apathy into their training experience with the instructor adding to it. Instructors need to leave their personal life out of the classroom atmosphere. I'll be the first to admit "easier said than done", at times, especially when todays "WHY" generation students push your buttons.
Craig,
There is no easy solution to this question. The first thing I can suggest is to be as positive a person as you can. The second is to not allow yourself to be pulled into the negative conversations that the "anchors" like to engage in. Change the subject or walk away.
The third is tougher. We need to let folks know when they are being negative and tell them that we will not be part of it. One of your peers suggests that we ask the negative coworkers if they really want to be here and explain in no uncertain terms the impact they are having on coworkers and students.
Good points, Jasen.
What can you do to make yourself more aware of negative attitudes and/or to get rid of them and replace them with positive attitudes, thoughts and actions?
Negative coworkers to are like trying to drive a boat with the anchor dragging the bottom. I like to ask "how do you fix it".
Sometimes it can be hard to be positive, especially if we dont realise we are being negative. Being aware of our attitudes is the first step of changing them. Success is the last step.
Thanks! I hope you continue to have success countering negative people, John.
I lead by example, share an experience with them that shows this process works. This counters their negative outlook. All people are good, their acts are what we need to focus on and help them make better decisions.
Thanks, John.
How do you work to overcome someone for whom this saying has no impact?
I have a motto that I followed while working as a technician, " there are no such things as problems, just unthought of solutions." I relate this saying to those around me in order to plant a seed of positive, challenging thinking, and a motivation to overcome.
Phillip,
Sometimes in a school there is addition through subtraction. The more positive you and your peers can make the environment, the more uncomfortable the negative person becomes. Eventually they turn from the "dark side" or leave. Both are good results for the students.
I have seen my co-workers avoid places like the lounge because there are routinely those there that are projecting a negative attitude nearly all the time. I find that ignoring them is not easy to do and I have found the need to leave the area as well. There have been those that were so negative about the company that we often wondered why they stay on, and when they do leave the air seems to clear tremendously. This attitude seeps out to the students too, and an entire class can be ruined by the negative attitude of an instructor that stands in front of a group for weeks at a time. It takes months or years sometimes to offset the damage done by just one person with a bad attitude and poor outlook on life.
Thanks, Sandy. The most effective way to deal with negative people is to be positive. Research shows that it takes 11 positive peoople to make up for one negative person. If you can find ten other positive people, you may make the negative person very uncomfortable.
That person may change his outlook or he may look to move on to another environment that validates their negative outlook. Either way, the students will be better off.
One thing to remember with negative people is to not let them influence you -- usually there is a positive spin (even if it is light-hearted) that you can put on the situation.
You are completely correct in your comments that positive attitudes make all of the difference. The world is such a negative place that it becomes all too easy to fall into the negativity trap. Good for you for providing encouraging words. It does make a big difference, even if it only influences your own attitude.
I cannot even begin to express the challenges of working in the field of corrections. I believe that negativity is part of the genetic code required to be an employee :). I am joking, but I have to combat negative attitudes and gossiping 24/7.
Thanks, Dustin.
Taking a positive attitude into the classroom will do a lot for your students and your fellow faculty members. What do you do to try to stay positive in the classroom when things are not going well?
Thanks, Susan. Negativity in the work place can drive away positive people from any job, but the corrections environment must be really tough to stay positive in.
I found this post to be interesting. I work in a corrections environment that tends to attract many staff members who are negative in their dealings with each other. Their negativity is such a powerful force that it has caused a lot of staff to leave to find other jobs. (I find it scary to take off without a new job lined up, but many people do not share this concern).
Finding 11 co-workers to accentuate the positive can be a real challenge. However, if you find them and put some time and energy in mentoring them, you will strike gold..
At my last job, I was the negative person. I worked very hard, produced at least three times the work as my other coworkers, even worked through lunch breaks most of the time and was never even thanked for my efforts. Now that I am in an organization that cares about us and our students, not to mention I get to see the "fruits of my efforts" I am a more positive person. When asked about the day, I could be having problems at home, or a troublesome student, I always answer that it is a beautiful day and it couldn't get much better. Positive thought has really helped me to succeed at being an instructor on our campus.
Jeffrey,
There is a danger in venting, especially if others can hear you. You may be accidently providing validation to those who are generally negative.
