“My people see everything in a negative light and are forever whining,” I often hear leaders say, where the mood of their team and the work atmosphere are concerned. But I also hear that from staff when I visit businesses. Colleagues spread a negative mood, gripe, and emphasize that “everything used to be better!” And those who complain wish for others to stop their whining and have less of a negative influence on the work atmosphere. So, of course, they persist in expectations that have a very small likelihood of being met.

Against this backdrop, I would like to present two operating principles: for one, the role model effects of the supervisor and each individual team member, and for another, our tendency to draw attention to things that we consider negative.

The supervisor’s role model effect
You may wish for others to change, but cannot force anyone to change his or her attitude or behavior. Any supervisor who believes that he or she can or must compel staff to do something can issue commands in a “command and control” manner. In doing so, however, there is a risk that this will have an extremely negative effect on the business climate, that staff will ultimately feel exploited and, as a last resort, leave the company.

Draw attention deliberately
It is much more effective to use your own behavior to invite others to change their behavior. So, if you have a group of staff that frequently express themselves in a negative manner, spread a bad mood and whine, then consider what positive impulses your own behavior could provide for this team. What behavior could you model? What could you change in your own behavior to make a positive impact? How might this influence the behavior of others?

The same is true for staff. Pose an alternative question that is solution-oriented, future-oriented, such as, “What should things be like for you?” or “What is your suggestion for how this could be changed?” This type of question invites the staff member to consider what it would need to be like in order for the whining to cease. And even the role model effect of the supervisor cannot be underestimated. The staff and the whole team orient themselves toward the behavior of the leaders. Your behavior establishes the benchmark and thereby substantially shapes the culture of the team. Therefore: always remain conscious of the effect of your behavior. If you are not sure how it is being perceived, inquire and request feedback.

The negative distortion in our thinking
Evolution is to blame for our fundamental tendency to think negatively. When our ancestors lived in caves and had to go on daily hunts, their attention was calibrated to pick up on every threat. That was necessary for survival. Even today, we have a very natural reflex like this, called the survival instinct. We take notice of everything that appears negative in our eyes, much more so than the things assumed to be positive.

In Asia, they have a beautiful saying for this: “A falling tree makes more noise than a growing forest.” That sums it up nicely. We are all subject to this phenomenon – staff as well as supervisors.

Focusing our attention
The central task of a given supervisor is to focus attention. Accordingly, draw the attention of your team to successes and things that the team can influence and control. The result is that the team will be thankful for the things that run well, or for which the team can be proud. And in order for this to work for you as supervisor, you have to start with yourself. First, you have to consciously control your own attention.

Particularly leaders are often in problem-solving mode and proceeding with this negative filter and, therefore, they above all see mistakes, problems, and difficulties. If you correct this and broaden your attention to include the growing forest, you can provide the positive feedback that controls the attention of your team and makes a direct impact on the negative focus of your team.

So: be aware of the negative distortion. Acknowledge that it is a completely normal human trait. Recognize it in yourself, control your own attention and draw it also to positive things – even if they are small things. Then, let the example you set be an invitation to your team, so that each individual can also place his or her attention increasingly on positive aspects lying within his or her own sphere of influence.

I wish you much success in this endeavor.