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A change of attitude, a change of environment

confidence30842627.jpgDo you find that your work environment seems toxic? Do you have employees that work against each other instead of as a team? What your small business may need is a change of attitude.

Every workplace is going to be filled with a number of different personalities and people that used to get along just fine may rub each other the wrong way now and this leads to a toxic work environment. To overcome a toxic work environment, here are some things you can do:

Remove pettiness

As much as you don't want pettiness to happen in the work environment, it will. From people that roll their eyes, to sarcastic remarks that are aimed to dig at one another, to backbiting, pettiness can literally destroy a healthy work environment. The employees that are on the receiving end of rude remarks and eye rolls will take it personally and they will have a difficult time coming to work. As a small business owner you need to quickly address this toxic behavior before it gets out of control. You can hold a staff meeting to address the behavior with everyone so one employee doesn't feel like they are being singled out. If the behavior continues, you will need to call this employee into your office and have a discussion about their attitude problems. Try to find out why they are behaving this way and it may come down to having an intervention with 2 employees that are having problems with one another.

Foster communication

In order to build a productive work environment, you need to make sure everyone is communicating effectively. Discuss some of the basic rules of communication like the importance of listening instead of talking over one another and having common respect for each other. Communication also deals with non-verbal cues like rolling your eyes and looking disinterested.Encourage your employees to use every method of communication from sending each other emails to holding small meetings will help to develop solid communication and this will help to avoid confusion and frustration between staff members.

Goals
Many employees have attitude problems at work because they feel they are overworked or underworked. As a small business manager, you need to sit down with each employee and discuss their roles and responsibilities. Find out how they are feeling about their job and if they feel overwhelmed or underworked. Setting goals for each employee will help them find a way to accomplish what they need and they will find it is much easier to feel needed in the office. When you reach out to your employees and they feel that you really do count on them, it will be easier for them to get up in the morning and come into the office. They will feel a sense of devotion and purpose to their job that they may have not been feeling for a long time. Keep the goals attainable and be sure to encourage them along the way to keep them motivated.

Be positive
The problem you will find with many small businesses is the owner is the person that is causing attitude problems. Do you come into the office on time? Do you lock up daily or are you constantly leaving early? How long are your lunch breaks? While you may own the company, you still need to hold yourself accountable to the same rules that you are enforcing upon your employees. You also need to come into the office excited and ready to work. When you are upbeat and positive, you will set the tone for the rest of your staff and their will check their negative attitudes at the door.

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