There’s no denying that supportive teams at work can drive success at full speed. For those pursuing a Master of Communication online degree, it is clear that communication, proactivity and positivity can play an important role in this success.

Negative behavior in the workplace, however, can cause real setbacks. That’s why it’s important to stop negativity in the office before it spreads. This infographic explores how leaders can do so successfully.

Negative behavior can include a number of communication and behavior issues, like:

• Hostility or aggressiveness.
• Narcissism or lack of accountability or responsibility.
• Rudeness, disrespect or bullying toward colleagues or clients.
• Actions or statements that undermine team motivation or business goals.
• Resistance to change or criticism.

The effects of negative behavior on employees can be large in number. They can vary from physical impacts, like health-related issues, to emotion concerns like depression and isolation, to organizational issues like low job satisfaction and high turnover rates. Resolving negative behavior, therefore, is important to both the health of the employees and the organization as a whole. For communication management degree students, understanding how communication best practices can help is key.

Once management has realized that there is a negativity problem in the workplace, it is imperative that top leaders make moves to correct it. They can do so by working with employees on:

• Identifying the cause.
• Collaborating to determine clear goals.
• Giving direct feedback without blame.
• Explaining potential consequences and documenting everything.
• Considering asking teams for regular self-assessments and organizing workplace civility training.

To learn more about intervening with negative behavior in the workplace, view the below infographic by the online masters in Communication Management: