Long-Term Care Survey Alert

Negative people can be downers, but you can help them channel their energy more positively.

According to Cherie Carter-Scott, a human resources consultant and author of The Corporate Negaholic: How to Deal Successfully with Negative Colleagues, Managers and Corporations, having just one negaholic teammate can "slime the entire group by de-motivating, demoralizing and de-inspiring." To help turn around your coworker's negative attitude, Carter-Scott suggests that you:

• Get to know the person. Strike up a conversation before a meeting begins, for example. Include him in your conversations with other coworkers. "This is the type of person who has always been left out in the past or was the last one chosen when teams were picked for a football or basketball game when he was young," she explains. "Make him feel [like] part of the team." Knowing that he is being noticed may cause your negaholic peer to think twice before raining on the team parade.
• Be compassionate. "It's painful to be a negaholic. [Your coworker] may be using negativism to mask other problems," states Carter-Scott. Position yourself as a supportive resource.
• Ask for help. Once you feel you have made a "connection" or established some rapport, present the individual with the situation -- framed as though it is your problem, not his.