We may consider
only the top person of an organization to be the leader that everyone
follows. This is not true. Everyone
in an organization serves in a leadership role whether or not we hold a
title.
Recently
I was engaged in a conversation concerning the impact that negative words and deeds
have on an organization. It seemed
that an individual became angry when she was not asked to present a report at a
particular meeting. She began
telling everyone who would listen how poorly she was treated. After determining that her attitude was
not a one-time occurrence but an on-going trend, I asked other employees what affect
her attitude had on them. It was
summed up by a fellow employee:
“I used to love to come to work. I thought we had a strong team and our
bosses were doing a great job. Now all I see are the negative aspects of the
job I do, and the incompetence of our leaders. The only thing that has changed is the fact I have listened
to her complaining so much, I am beginning to complain too. I feel unhappy with
my work and with my fellow employees.
In fact, I feel physically ill most of the time while I’m at work."
The old adage “one bad apple spoils the whole
barrel” holds a great deal of truth. Some
complaining is normal. However, an excessive amount of it can be debilitating
not only to the person complaining but to the organization as a whole. Production goes down. Customer Service lags and ultimately
the public will not associate with the organization. Over the past 3 years, I
have watched several companies sell out because “they just wanted out.” However, competing companies realized
it was because there was so much tension in the organization that customers stopped
buying from them.
My own company experienced something similar
several years ago. We were vending at one of the largest conventions in the
industry. We had two “prima donna”
designers in the booth. One of
them kept making snide remarks about the other one. I finally took her out of the booth and told her not to
return. Our income at that show
was extremely low compared to previous years. Recently, a fellow vendor and I
were talking about the situation and she recalled, “All the vendors on the
floor knew that you were having problems at that show. Our booth was 100 yards
on the opposite side of the building and we could feel the tension.” It was no wonder customers avoided us
like the plague!
Similar
situations exist in clubs. When
you have a member who expresses his/her self in negative terms, it can affect
how the club members and elected leaders respond and work together. Negative words and deeds undermine the
purpose of a club and result in a hostile environment. When prospective members visit the
club, they pick up on the tension and negativity. No one wants to be involved where such dynamics exist. Clubs with negative “vibes” do not
retain members. Therefore they are
at risk of dying out unless something is done to correct the problem.
Are
you a “bad apple” contributing to a negative environment? As a leader, whether formal leader or
one without a title, and you are leading others through negativity. No one wants to wallow in that rotten
barrel for an extended period.
Continuing to do so has consequences. Your fellow employees or club members will start to avoid
you; therefore, escalating your “bad apple attitude.” Your own health is at jeopardy. Studies have proven that people with
negative attitudes have more health problems with their heart and immune system
than people with positive attitudes1. Companies, and clubs, do not have to tolerate such behaviors. They are destructive to the
organization. If you work for a
company, they can fire you. If you
are a member of a club, the membership can ask you to leave.
If
you are a “bad apple”, consider the affect negativity is having on you, personally, and everyone around
you. Then follow the fashion and
make-up industry guru’s philosophy of “accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.”
Not everything is negative, so seek
out the positives in your life, your job, your bosses, and, if you’re a club
member, in your fellow members and the club’s formal leaders. Your popularity and mental and physical
health may improve. You may find
that focusing on the positive may even get you a promotion and/or a raise.
