5 Signs Your Workplace Is A Negativity Trap And How To Escape

Decoding workplace woes

My decades-long work in staffing provided a front-row seat to company cultures. Often it isn’t pretty. One client had an extremely negative culture. To keep 40 people working on their floor, they had to hire 640 people each year. Because they had a revolving door, they were never as productive as they might have been, had they had a positive culture. This company was a negativity trap, as their managers had a bit of Stockholm Syndrome.
 

During the pandemic, one of the companies surveyed 1,500 workers. In every prior survey, the participants prioritized pay, shift, and location. In that year, the number three factor was the type of work. Since June 2021, around 4 million workers quit their jobs. In interviews, they suggested they wanted to be treated better. You know this as the Great Resignation.

1. The First Sign: High Turnover Rates

The first sign that your workplace is a negativity trap is the number of people deciding to leave the company. The more people are leaving, the more you have a sign that something isn’t quite right. People do not leave jobs when they are happy and working in a healthy culture.

Not many people know there are two types of hierarchies in nature. The first hierarchy is called a dominator hierarchy, and it is exactly as advertised. You are a means, not an end. But there is another hierarchy called a growth hierarchy where leaders help their teams grow.

2. The Second Sign: Lack of Transparency

The more secretive the culture, the more likely that it is a negativity trap. The withholding of information often, allowing only a few people to have information creates a negative environment.

This sign can sometimes be recognized that there are favorites that are part of the inner circle, leaving out others who have a lower status. When you realize you are not one of the chosen few, you find the atmosphere to be negative.

If you want to reduce the likelihood, you want to be transparent. You want to foster a workplace where everything is out in the open.

3. The Third Sign: Unhealthy Interpersonal Dynamics

Here is a list of signs of a Negativity Trap: bullying, gossip, ostracizing some people, and aggressive behaviors. This is proof positive of a dominator hierarchy, one you should remove yourself as fast as possible.

You deserve to work for people who care about you and your experience in the workplace. You are looking for people who will invest in helping you grow, develop, and provide you with a path forward.

One of my largest clients was bullied by the team. I told him I was firing him, and he scoffed. Twenty-five minutes later, I gave him a cancellation notice. I called my CEO and told her I fired our largest client. She thanked me for getting rid of a toxic client.

4. The Fourth Sign: Low Morale and Lack of Enthusiasm

When you realize your team has low morale and isn’t enthusiastic about their work, you are most probably looking at a negativity trap. This can be an early sign of a toxic work culture.

This is a leadership problem, and unless and until an enlightened leader is willing to make changes, you may be trapped.

5. The Fifth Sign: Stress and Burnout

Business can cause stress, anxiety, or burnout. Maybe you have difficult clients. Maybe you work more hours than you should. Or maybe you don’t have the resources to do your job. Any of these can make work something positive on your mental health balance sheet.
We invest a significant amount of time in our work, and like any other aspect of life, we aim for a positive balance. Ensuring a workload that doesn't compromise your work-life balance is crucial.

How to Escape the Negativity Trap

When your workplace is a negativity trap, you may want to start building a plan to escape. One way to start your escape is by asking friends and family if they know of a company that values their employees and the positive culture that causes people to stay and do good work.

If you are a leader, you want to address these five signs as quickly as possible. What you may not know is that we already don’t have enough employees for the available jobs. This will get worse over the next decade when 78 million Baby Boomers retire.

Assess your work environment and if it is a negativity trap, take care of yourself and move on to a healthier workplace.

Author Bio

Anthony Iannarino is a writer, a five-time bestselling author, an international speaker and coach and consultant for large companies. His new book is The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success.