Attitude and productivity

What effect does a bad attitude have on productivity?  Answer: More than you can imagine.  According to this somewhat dated, but still very applicable article, negativity costs the US economy between $250 to $300 billion a year.

While I can't begin to imagine how they came up with that number, it provides a little insight into the effect a bad attitude has on the bottom line.  Even if the real amount is closer to half of $300 billion, it's still a huge number.
Now there are two sides to every coin.  On one side we have the company that creates a bad atmosphere for employees.  These companies have high turnover rates and crabby employees.  The leaders usually wonder why all their employees are negative and hold meetings to work on improving office morale…which usually produces the opposite effect.  If this sounds like your company, the problem probably isn't with the employees.

On the other side, we have chronic complainers.  These people will never be happy about anything your company does.  They spread negativity like a disease, slowly eating away at office morale.  Once the morale begins to deteriorate, productivity goes down the tubes...followed closely by company profits.

If your company has already created a positive working environment, but you still have one or two chronic complainers, here’s my advice: Put them on notice.  Let them know that their negativity brings down the rest of the group, and it will not be tolerated.