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Negativity can take hold quickly in higher education. It can surface in a faculty meeting, a hallway conversation, an email exchange, or in an informal discussion after a presentation. When colleagues are tired, anxious, or frustrated, the easiest contribution is often the negative one. It takes little effort to identify what is wrong. It takes more discipline to name what is working, what is possible, and who may need encouragement.
That discipline matters. Just before the academic year began, a colleague sent me a brief note about an article I had published. It was a small gesture, but it stayed with me. It was a reminder that a few sincere words can provide energy at the right moment. Soon after, I reached out to a former student beginning her first year as a tenure-track professor. I wished her a happy new year and offered encouragement as she stepped into a demanding new role. Anyone who has started a faculty position knows how intimidating that first year can feel. New courses, new colleagues, new expectations, and the pressure to prove oneself all arrive at once. Meanwhile, the voices of imposter syndrome can often be heard in your head. A note from a mentor or former instructor can help someone begin the day, and the year, with confidence.
These gestures are not sentimental extras. They are part of how healthy academic communities are built. Appreciation does not remove workload pressures, budget constraints, enrollment concerns, or institutional uncertainty. However, it does shape how people interpret and respond to those realities. Gratitude helps people see effort, progress, and possibility when the larger environment feels discouraging. In mentoring relationships, encouragement can create a positive cycle: People who feel seen and supported are more likely to support others.
A positive mindset is not the same as pretending problems do not exist. Higher education faces real challenges, including limited resources, changing student needs, workload pressures, political scrutiny, and the emotional labor of teaching and advising. Positivity is not denial. It is a choice to approach problems with agency rather than cynicism. It asks, “What can we do next?” instead of settling for, “This will never work.”
One way to protect that mindset is to be intentional about where attention goes. Negativity grows when it receives repeated attention without a path toward action. A concern may be legitimate, but if the conversation never moves toward evidence, solutions, or shared responsibility, it becomes a habit. In meetings, classrooms, and departments, leaders can acknowledge concerns without letting them dominate the culture. A simple question can help: “What would help?” That question does not dismiss the concern. It moves the conversation from grievance to possibility.
Another strategy is to become a deliberate source of encouragement. Encouragement is not flattery; it is specific, timely, and grounded in observation. “I appreciated the way you framed that issue.” “Your article gave me something useful to think about.” “You are entering a challenging year, but you are prepared for it.” These statements take moments to offer, but they can counterbalance the steady drip of discouragement people often experience. In academic settings, where work is constantly evaluated, revised, and critiqued, encouragement is a form of professional generosity.
Other examples to create a positive and encouraging work environment can include: saying hi with a smile, stopping at one’s door for a quick chat and check in, setting up a lunch with peers, going for a walk with a friend, asking “how can I help”, asking “tell me more”, saying “that was a great question/answer”, giving a hug. We live in community but can be isolated into silos. These little gestures can go a long way to creating positive cultures in the workplace.
It is key to distinguish negativity from critique. Critique can be constructive, evidence-based, and oriented toward improvement. Negativity is often repetitive, personalized, and closed off to change. Higher education needs critique; institutions improve when people identify problems and propose better approaches. What drains initiative is the belief that nothing can improve. Constructive critique says, “Here is the issue, and here are possible ways forward.” Negativity says, “Here is the issue, and there is no point in trying.”
Positive colleagues are not positive because the work is easy. They are positive because they guard their perspective. They choose conversations that reinforce purpose. They notice progress. They remember that students, colleagues, and institutions are more than their most frustrating moments. They also understand that tone is contagious. One solution-oriented voice may not silence every negative one, but it can keep negativity from becoming the only voice in the room.
There is a practical reason to choose encouragement: people do better work when they believe their work matters. A new faculty member who receives a note of confidence may walk into class a little more grounded. A writer who receives a kind response to a published piece may feel renewed enough to begin the next one. A colleague who hears appreciation in a meeting may be more willing to contribute again. Encouragement multiplies quietly.
The beginning of an academic year makes this especially visible. Institutions start the year with agendas, reports, initiatives, and concerns. Those are necessary. But the year also begins with people: students entering unfamiliar classrooms, new faculty trying to find their footing, staff managing invisible workloads, and colleagues carrying hopes that may be hard to see. In that context, choosing positivity is not naïve. It is leadership.
We cannot control whether others arrive determined to focus on what is wrong. We can control whether we join them there. We can ask better questions, send the note, name the good work, and keep our attention fixed on what deserves to grow. Avoiding the negative is not about ignoring reality. It is about refusing to let cynicism define the culture we share. Positivity is less a mood than a practice, one we choose, repeat, and model when the room needs it most.
Dr. Steve Baule is a faculty member at Winona State University (WSU), where he teaches in the Leadership Education Department. Prior to joining WSU, Baule spent 28 years in K-12 school systems in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, and two years teaching in the University of Wisconsin System. For the 13 years prior to moving to the university level, Baule served as a public -school superintendent. He has written 10 books on a variety of educational and historical topics and has served on the editorial boards for two journals. Baule earned an advanced diversity and equity certificate while in the UW system. He holds a doctorate in instructional technology from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University Chicago.
Dr. Ray Martinez is a faculty member and chair at Winona State University (WSU), where he teaches in the Physical Education and Sport Science Department. Prior to joining WSU, Dr. Martinez taught at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse and the University of Northern Colorado. He taught public school in Texas and Minnesota. Dr. Martinez has 31 years of teaching experience.
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