Story on Negativity in the Workplace Quotes Steve Langerud

October 30, 2011

October 30, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Employees complain that they are under pressure from working harder for less pay and worrying about job security, but work-related stress is 10 times worse if the environment is tainted with negative people," writes Tim Grant in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., said the ironic thing about negativity in the workplace was that the behavior can be perpetuated if it's not addressed properly."

Langerud tells the newspaper, "Often the last person to know [she is] being negative is the person everyone is talking about. But the employee can't change what he or she doesn't know." He adds, "If we don't address it, we are condoning it by saying 'it's OK.' And we are creatures of imitation. You could suddenly have a whole department acting negative. It's not productive, and it's not good for business."

The complete article can be accessed at the Post-Gazette's website.

Steve Langerud has helped more than 15,000 people with workplace issues and is regularly quoted in articles on the job market and career development, including the October 23 edition of the New York Times. He is available to help DePauw students and alumni with career planning. Visit DePauw's Office of Civic, Global and Professional Opportunities here.

Back