Motivational Management: Inspiring Your People for Maximum Performance

How Common Is Negative Talk?^[2]

There are probably as many types of negative talk as there are pessimists—people are remarkably creative when it comes to finding ways to say the sky is falling! But it is helpful to recognize at least five common forms of negative talk that are heard all too frequently in businesses and workplaces today. Exhibit 9-1 describes them, and we'll take a closer look at each one later in this chapter. But first, let's find out how common these various forms of negative talk are in your workplace.

Negative Talk Assessment

Exercise 9-1 is based on an assessment tool we often use in workshops. It gives you an indication of how much negative talk there is in your workplace.

Exhibit 9-1. Types of negative talk.

1. Accepting ...