I'd never really thought about workplace negativity as a cultural attribute until last week when I was in a workshop and the participants said the number one thing they would like to tackle in order to raise performance and morale was negativity.
That statement coincided with some info that dropped into my mailbox about embracing anxiety in the face of uncertainty. The piece cited some studies that showed how negative thinking can be productive. It quoted from a book written by Julie K. Norem, a psychology professor at Wellesley and author of "The Positive Power of Negative Thinking," who advises, "Set your expectations low and think through the negative possibilities. It drives optimists crazy, but it drives your attention away from feelings of anxiety to what you can do to address the disaster that might happen." I've downloaded a sample chapter to my Kindle. It will be handy for next time I start thinking 'this will never work.'