Consumer confidence is down – no doubt in large part because one in 10 Americans is still without a job.  That combined with mostly inaction from Washington has created a climate where entrepreneurs must (with due credit to Jack Matson) innovate or die.

Adam Toren wrote a great post on the YoungEntrepreneur site last week on this necessity.  Perhaps the most powerful of the five tips he shares to "keep your fire burning strong" is to guard against negativity.  As I've written here before, negativity results in employee stress, and that can wreak havoc on your ability to create a productive workplace culture.

Picking up and running with Toren's point on ridding your workplace of negativity, here are three road-tested strategies you can use to get there.  Use them in tandem for best results:

1. Hire slow.  Don't be afraid to bring prospective hires in for interviews with staff they would report to, as well as decision makers in other departments or areas.  Doing this will greatly increase the likelihood that they're the best person for you and, on the flip side, that you're the best organization for them.
2. Communicate with employees often, and give them a voice in how the company operates.  Frequent all-hands meetings and annual or semi-annual employee surveys are great action steps under this strategy.
3. Invest in employee leadership development.  We've seen that while some leaders think paying to advance workers' career development will lead them to jump ship, by and large they show their appreciation for their employer's commitment to their growth by staying put and instead looking for growth opportunities from within.  In turn, this helps keep your knowledge base strong and also saves on recruiting and training costs.

When you engage employees, do you do anything in addition to the above measures to make your organization a positive place in which to work?