INTHEBLACK April 2022 - Magazine - Page 67
FOCUS ON MEANING
Managers and employees who try to create happy
environments may unintentionally fall into the trap
of toxic positivity, Bastian says.
“Research shows that the times we expect to be
happy are the times when we feel less happy due to
that expectation,” he says.
The alternative is for staff and managers to pursue
workplace activities that are meaningful, rather than
focusing on the more superficial goal of happiness.
“In the workplace, hopefully we find some sense of
purpose and meaning to what we do, even on a small
level,” he says. “Even if it’s just contributing and helping
other people around us.”
While happiness may not be the overarching goal of
this approach, we tend to feel happiness as a byproduct,
because we are “doing something that is important and
purposeful” and that connects us to others and our
values, Bastian says.
Another solution may lie with the concept of “tragic
optimism”, the term coined by psychiatrist and
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, which refers to the
notion that one can find meaning in the inevitable pain
and suffering of life.
“I think tragic optimism is essentially about hope,
and hope is not about denying the toughness of the
situation or invalidating your response,” Bastian says.
“While toxic positivity leads us to worry about our
responses not being positive enough, tragic optimism
leads us to say, ‘Yes, this situation is really hard, but I am
refusing to let go of the idea that things can get better,
that life can be meaningful’.”
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Applying this principle to the workplace, Bastian argues
managers must ensure they allow negative emotions to
be safely expressed.
“They need to make sure they are open to having
those difficult conversations with staff,” Bastian says.
Managers must also actively validate their employees’
experiences, rather than burying the feedback under
pep talks.
“Managers may feel that, if they allow negative
emotions to be aired, they will open up a proverbial
Pandora’s box, where everyone will start complaining,”
Bastian says.
“But just as leaning into negative emotions helps to
reduce those feelings for individuals, exploring them
with team members often helps to resolve them.”
Dr Rachael Sharman, senior lecturer in psychology at
the University of the Sunshine Coast, agrees and notes
that, to cope with challenging situations, many
“While toxic positivity
leads us to worry
about our responses
not being positive
enough, tragic
optimism leads us to
say, ‘Yes, this situation
is really hard, but I am
refusing to let go of
the idea that things
can get better, that life
can be meaningful’.”
PROFESSOR BROCK BASTIAN,
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
managers bury their heads in the sand, which rarely
works.
Instead, they need to address problems head-on and
then use positive messaging as an adjunct tool to boost
morale and camaraderie.
“Workplaces can certainly use [problems] as an
opportunity to upskill, to think about how to do
something differently, and treat it as a challenge,” she
says. “But you can only do that once employees feel
they have support to solve the problem in the first
place.”
IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY
Taken to its extreme, toxic positivity can have a
devastating impact both on companies and on people,
Sharman says.
“I think where it gets ugly is where positivity is
actually weaponised to stop dissent and to prevent
employees from raising issues,” she says.
“If you point out that there is a flaw in the way an
application works, for example, you become tainted as a
downer and not a good cultural fit for the organisation.”
If managers who weaponise toxic positivity are not
weeded out, then not only will productivity suffer, but
good people will quit in droves.
“If you have a toxic workplace, you will attract toxic
people, and they are the people who will stay,” she says.
On the other hand, companies that deal with
problems and do not suppress negative emotions are
the ones that reap the financial rewards.
“Workplaces where staff genuinely feel valued and
listened to, it sounds obvious, but it’s a real boon for the
business,” she says.
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au April 2022 67