For managers, communicating new tasks with employees who are navigating emotional conflict may feel like running into a wall of pessimism. The constant focus on negatives, on threats, on what could go wrong, is not unusual for individuals searching for safety while their personal life is in turbulence.
What looks like contention or disagreement is often not disagreement at all—it is a protection protocol. A nervous system on high alert.
High-stressed and emotionally dysregulated individuals rarely see opportunities for growth. Some may not even contribute in staff meetings or problem-solving discussions. But here is what is often overlooked: what seems like pessimism may actually serve the business. Negative viewpoints can highlight blind spots, risks, and vulnerabilities that “gung-ho” managers might ignore.
The answer is not to shut down negative responses. It is to understand them, and to validate that they come from a place of protection, not sabotage.
Shutting down someone who is already hypervigilant only drives them further into withdrawal. They may stop speaking up in team meetings, step back from collaboration, and disengage from the workplace culture.
Aggression or pushback against negative perspectives—though instinctive for managers eager for positivity—creates distance between the individual and the team. The desire to pull out the stress ball is real, while gripping the coffee mug even harder during presentations. The employee begins to feel unwanted, disconnected from culture, and that they don’t belong. This sense of rejection becomes the lens through which they see everything. They look for more reasons to validate the belief that they don’t fit in. The result? Disengagement, further withdrawal, and sometimes resignation.
Employees rarely wake up with the desire to sabotage themselves or a business. They want to contribute. They want to please managers and business owners. But when their personal lives are destabilised, their perspectives at work are shaped through survival mode.
Managers must consider the context. What may sound like negativity is often the voice of protection. And behind protection is fear. And behind fear is the desire to feel safe again.