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- Hello Believe Nation.
My name is Evan Carmichael.
My one word is believe and I believe that entrepreneurs
are going to solve all the major problems of the world.
So to help you on your path,
in today's video we're going to talk about seven ways
to manage negative people at work.
And, as always guys, as you're listening if you hear
something that really resonates with you,
please leave it down in the Comments below.
Put quotes around it so other people
can be inspired as well.
And when you write it down, it's much more likely to stick
with yourself too.
Enjoy.
- [Robot] Nine,
eight.
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- So one of the most difficult things about being
in a work environment is being around negative people.
I think even just in home and in general,
being around negative people sucks and being able
to navigate around and with those people can sometimes
be important on your journey.
And so today I'm going to share with you
seven different ways to do it that I hope will inspire you
and help you on your path.
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My number one way to manage negative people is don't.
Don't be around negative people.
Eliminate them from your life.
This is what I try to do as much as possible in my own life.
This may not be the answer that you're looking for
and there's more that are coming but it's my best answer
because if you are surrounded by negative people constantly
you're going to get more negative, you're going to be unhappy,
you're not going to reach your potential.
And so if I was in a work environment and this person
was really negative and being around me all the time,
I might try to transfer,
I might look for other opportunities,
I might even look at a different company,
or maybe even leaving and starting my own business
and being an entrepreneur.
If you are an entrepreneur and you have negative people
on your team, then that's an easier decision.
If somebody is really skilled and does a great job
but they're negative, they have to go.
You cannot be surrounded by negative people
because they don't only bring you down,
they'll bring everybody else around you down.
And so you need to have people who are positive who are
excited about the project that you're trying to build.
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My number two technique for managing negative people
is to limit your exposure.
So if you are forced to deal with negative people,
I would try to limit how much exposure I have to them.
How much time I have to spend with them would be
at the bare minimum, just to get whatever project
I'm trying to do and get it done.
And so the first two points are pretty negative, right?
It's avoid them, have zero exposure.
The second one is to limit your exposure and why?
You know, if I'm thinking,
well, I want to be a positive influence,
I want to help them, I want to build them up.
Yes, that's definitely a possibility.
The reason why I start with the negative is because
the opportunity cost is so great.
For you to spend your time managing somebody
who is negative, they will eat up so much of your time
and emotional capital and drain you,
because they're so different than you,
and getting them to the place where they can be happy
is such a big journey that you could spend that time
helping 10 other people.
And so I've always experienced that the people
who are negative take the most work to turn around
and usually it's not worth your time compared to
the other people who you could be helping.
So that's why my first two are really negative around
not being around them at all or limiting your exposure.
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Alright, now let's jump to the positive side.
Number three is be an inspiration.
So, we have to around these negative people,
we have no other option, they're super important
and we want to be the force for good.
You can be an inspiration to build people up.
And so I think of when women first get together
in an office setting an eventually their periods
start to align together.
That kind of happens with everything.
If you are around toxic people,
you're more likely to be toxic on an ongoing basis.
If you're around people who are working out all the time,
you're more likely to want to work out
and take care of yourself.
If you're around complainers,
you're going to start complaining more.
And so you become your environment.
So if you have that awareness,
you can be an inspiration for that person.
By them just being around you,
you are going to pull them up.
I used to volunteer at a hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital
here in Toronto, and one of my shifts was with this woman
who was in charge of the phones on her floor.
And she would also pick up the phone in kind of
very angry way.
It was, C2 Laura, C2 Laura.
It was kind of very angry and it was kind of against
how I would do things and just the vibe I wanted to put out.
And by spending more and more time with her,
eventually she got more positive.
She said, C2 Laura, C2 this is Laura speaking.
And it slowly got more and more and more and more positive.
Now, as I left Sunnybrook, as my volunteer shift ended,
I don't know if that continued or if she fell back
to her usual path, but expect that to happen.
You know, the more they are around you,
I want you to be a force for good, right?
When you find your one word, whatever that is,
that exudes out of you in every situation that you go to.
So if you are around me for any consistent period of time,
even from watching the videos, you're going to believe harder,
you're going to believe stronger in yourself,
in your ideas, in the people around you
because that's what I'm all about.
You can't be in my circle
and not gain a little bit more belief.
It's just going to happen.
So that should be you with your one word getting out there
and being an inspiration for people.
The danger is that, as I said,
two people tend to come together,
the danger is that you become more toxic and you become
more negative so you need to have enough other stuff
in your environment that keeps you at a high level
that pulls them you instead of you going to them.
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- Tip number four is to come from a place of understanding.
I think a lot of people's negativity is actually
deeply rooted into something else beyond
what they're complaining about.
So I had a situation with a negative person on my team.
They were constantly putting others down.
They were constantly paranoid about what the company's
situation was going to be like.
And they were also gossiping a lot and spreading rumors.
And every single day he would complain.
I would ask him how his day's going and he would
just say it's terrible.
And it got to a point that it was actually starting
to make me feel negative about my situation at work.
And then finally I had to have
a sit down conversation with him.
I wanted to find out why he was being so negative.
Then he revealed to me that he was paranoid
of losing his job.
He would wake up every morning with a fear that he won't
be able to feed his family, he will not be able to go
on that vacation that he promised his wife.
Although I wasn't able to promise him the job security
that he wanted, I was able to provide him with the security
and safety that he had someone at work
that he could confide in.
And little by little, I started to see more positivity
come out of him, especially towards me,
which made my life at work a lot easier.
So the next time you come across someone negative,
before you write them off,
try to come from a place of understanding.
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- Number five is figure out their dream.
I like to say that one of the most dangerous things
that you can do is tell me what your dream is.
If I know what your dream is then I am always thinking about
how do I help this person at this thing that they want to do
and pushing you to get past those limited beliefs
and the negative mindsets to help you go off and accomplish
your big thing.
And so even the most negative person has some kind of dream.
They may not feel it's possible,
they may feel like the world's against them and that
people are conspiring to keep them down
but somewhere deep down inside they have a dream
of something that they wan to accomplish.
And so if you can figure out what their dream is,
and then find ways to help them accomplish it,
be their friend, be their accountability partner,
give them some resources,
give them some motivational boosts,
share things with them to help them lift up
and get towards that goal, then it's really hard
to be making progress towards your dream
and being negative and unhappy at the same time.
And so guiding them along that path and encouraging them
will help turn that tide and turn them from being
super negative to more positive.
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Number six is recognize their good behavior.
This is basic parenting skills or if you are trying to
train a dog, it's kind of the same thing.
You have two options.
You either punish their bad behavior
or you recognize their good behavior.
And you may not be in a position to punish them
for their bad behaviors and it may be
actually what they want because they seek the attention
and they love going to a negative place.
And so if I was dealing with that kind of person,
I had to deal with them, then I'd be looking at
the negative stuff I'm just going to ignore
and anytime there is something positive that they do for me
or the mindset that they have or something that they shared
that was happy, or funny, or positive,
I would go all in on encouraging that and thank them
and appreciate them.
Not in a fake way.
Not in a way that they see, obviously, right through
but in the genuine way of you really connecting
to that thing that they did for you and thanking them,
maybe buying them a little cupcake or something
as a show of appreciation.
Because negative people aren't surrounded by a lot
of positivity in general.
It's how the become so negative.
And so buy you recognizing the good deeds that they did,
giving them some appreciation, giving them some rewards,
they're going to want to do it again and again and again
and lift out of that negativity.
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And my number seven way to deal with negative people
is help them find a happier place.
Quite often, negative people are so bummed out
by their position, by their work,
they're not passionate about it anymore,
they don't, you know, have the desire to be there anymore
and everybody would be happier if they moved on.
It kind of ties a little bit into understanding
what their dream is because often if they have a dream
and they're doing something totally different,
then they're going to be negative and unhappy.
They're going to see other people who are off
accomplishing these great things in the field
that they want to be in and they're stuck in this job
that they hate.
And so helping push them to follow that dream,
find a happier place, go pursue that passion,
is great for them because they're happier,
they're off doing the thing that they need
and sometimes they just need a little bit of a push.
And it's great for you because now you don't have to deal
with this negative person in your work environment anymore.
So those are my top seven ways
on how to manage negative people at work.
I'd love to know what did you guys think?
What was your favorite one?
Which one really hit home?
What can you apply to your business
or maybe your life immediately?
Leave it down in Comments below.
Did I miss an eight, nine, 10 that you guys want to add
to the list?
I'm really curious to find out.
I made this video because Luis Tirelli asked me to.
So, if there's a topic you'd like for me to cover
in a future Seven Ways series, check out the link
in the description and go and cast your vote.
I also want to give a quick shout out to Frode
from the Actualize YouTube Channel.
Thank you so much, man, for picking up a copy of my book,
Your One Word, and doing the review on your channel.
I really, really appreciate the support and I'm so glad
that you love the book.
So thank you, guys, so much for watching.
I believe in you.
I hope you continue to believe in yourself
and whatever your one word is.
Much love.
I'll see you soon.
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