Negativity is the worst infectious disease that can threaten a culture. Pervasive negativity is one of the leading reasons people leave organizations in droves, and as you know, mass turnover is really expensive.
According to Ross Blake in his article "Employee Retention: What Employee Turnover Really Costs Your Company," talent replacement costs an organization between 30 and 50 percent of the annual salary of entry-level employees, 150 percent of middle-level employees, and up to 400 percent for specialized, high-level employees.
Of course, the best way to combat negativity is to uncover its root cause, which likely has something to do with dysfunctional culture. You’d be surprised how addressing issues here can make a difference.
Nevertheless, even in a positive culture, some employee negativity is inevitable. How do you keep it in check? For five anecdotes to try with the individuals on your team who are bringing everyone down, check out my post at the AMEX Open Forum.
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