Negativity is infectious

I was in a taxi driving from Hawthorn to Doncaster. Excited about the prospect of a morning filled with shopping – I had an acute feeling of anticipation about what I might find on sale!

The taxi driver, it appeared, had some major issues with the world. A first he seemed nice enough, but after a few short minutes I was bombarded with his perspective on everything. The horrible flats built near his favourite garden, the inconsiderate tradies who park in taxi zones, his son in law – who was a great father and husband but had no backbone. The stream of negativity was endless and pointless.

I walked away feeling utterly deflated, drained, frustrated and in need of a strong coffee – thankfully I was in Melbourne!

But the encounter got me thinking.

If the taxi driver had such a massive impact on my physical and mental well-being after only 15 minutes, what impact would a negative manager have on their team day after day, week after week?