I laughed when I read that October 27th is "Cranky Coworker Day", yet I know it's no laughing matter. My mama used to say, "One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch." That's what a cranky coworker can do, isn't it? So what do we do about "bad apples" who "rot" the morale of our workplaces? 

First, confront them, kindly, to address what you perceive as a negative attitude, then ask what they see as the cause. Sometimes there is a stress or pain in their lives we didn't know about and we can offer help. Their attitude may improve when they know you care.

Other times, people are simply into "stinkin' thinkin" for no apparent good reason! That's when it is a challenged for us to maintain positive attitudes. Past eSips reminded us how to do that by incorporating positive thinking, visualization and humor into our daily lives to affect our health and happiness, at home and in the workplace. (View past eSip tips.) 

Remember, we are always mentoring, whether we want to be or not. We need to help each other stay positive, build each other up, and work happily together as a team. That's why negative thinkers should never orient new employees, because "stinkin' thinkin'" can be contagious!