Pessimism directly interferes with productivity in the workplace, not only for the pessimistic individual, but also for the rest of the team. Amy Gallo summarizes the solution wonderfully: “It is the role of the leader to understand the underlying cause of the pessimism before acting.” The real question is, how do you do that?
“Leaders should focus on the impact of the individual’s behavior.”
Employee assessments take the guesswork out of conflict. When they use straightforward employee assessments, leaders have more opportunities to address specific issues before they become major problems. As the blog states, “Leaders should focus on the impact of the individual’s behavior.” Using insight gained from assessments, employers can view the scene from a 10,000-foot aerial view rather than a narrow, 10-foot view. As a result, employers will learn what makes the employee unique and how to help the employee improve his attitude.
Read “How to Handle the Pessimist on your Team” at Harvardbusiness.org
