12 Soul-Killing Work Habits

Work is hard enough without the energy-sapping, morale-killing behavior of the people around you. And the long recession has made the problem even worse. “Most people wrongly assume that their tasks and responsibilities are what’s grinding them down,” says Jon Gordon, author of the book Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture (Wiley). “However, while ‘work’ is a convenient scapegoat, the real culprit is often the negativity of the people you work with and for, their constant complaining, and the pessimistic culture that is now the norm in a lot of workplaces.” He uses the term “drainer” for colleagues who suck the life out of a team. If you see these any of these draining behaviors in your co-workers – or recognize them in yourself – it is time for an attitude adjustment. Gordon, a consultant who also authored The No Complaining Rule, says the right environment can make the job easier and workers more productive, and he provides quick suggestions on turning around some familiar bad habits, too.