Managers need courage ...

If you are a manager, supervisor or a group leader of any business organisation, one thing you would never bargain for is to get a team member with a personality, work style, or temperament that would drive you crazy or aggravate others.

“What a nightmare,” you would naturally say.

If you are a manager, supervisor or a group leader of any business organisation, one thing you would never bargain for is to get a team member with a personality, work style, or temperament that would drive you crazy or aggravate others. “What a nightmare,” you would naturally say.

During my career, I have had a fair experience in working with team members with attitude problems. If you are faced with the same problem now, let me tell you what you could do.

Attitude problems

First of all, remember that most employees with attitude issues are not aware of any problem: It’s just ‘their’ way. Once you understand this fact, handling him/her is not difficult.

You know you’ve got an employee with ‘attitude’ problem when these things start to happen:

Peers would rather do a job alone than work with him/her

Discussion at a meeting goes dead when he/she speaks

The person insists that work be done her/his way or hoards work

Direction from superiors is always questioned

The person consistently criticizes, competes with, or dismisses the work of others

He/she is rude or inconsiderate to others

If you ask the person to handle something additional to the normal responsibilities, she/he is resistant

The person often complains about the company or the job

He/she has a record of sloppy performance and regular lateness

Each of these situations points to an attitude that needs defining. Where to start?

Put down on paper

Any person with a genuinely vile attitude has probably had that fact pointed out to him so many times that he’s anesthetized to it. Raising the attitude issue one more time will undoubtedly be unproductive.

Instead, get ‘specific’. Is the person spending too much time socializing? Does the person pout or sulk when he/she doesn’t get his way? Or is he/ she rude, surly and inconsiderate? All these behaviors are different, but all of them are commonly slapped with the ‘attitude problem’ label.

Keep track of how often the behaviors occur. Get your times, dates and places exactly correct. This is a situation where keeping a log has a genuine payoff. Narrow the issue to the precise problem. Identify exactly what type of behavior the attitude has caused. This list may help: Carelessness, always complaining, disruptive or explosive conduct, inattention to work, insensitivity to others, insubordination, laziness, negative/cynical posture and surly/ inconsiderate/rude talk.

Record the frequency of such misconduct, plus how it affects workflow and colleagues’ perfor mance. List good business reasons why the behavior must end. Once you have an accurate and complete summary of grating behaviors that have generated the ‘attitude problem’ diagnosis, you’re almost ready for a discussion.

Feedback from peers

Nothing gets our attention more than knowing what others are saying about us, especially in the workplace. So here’s what you can do:

Develop a few questions with the employee to be asked of his/her internal customers, focused on their approach to getting work done. Talk to the employee and explain to him/ her why you are doing it.

Identify six to eight peers and internal customers that the employee will ask to answer those questions.

Develop a process for collecting the feedback and submitting it confidentially to you.

Compile the feedback. Discuss s ummariz e d f i ndi ngs wit h t he employee.

Reset his/her goals and strategies to improve.

Addressing the issue

With your written list of the unacceptable physical and verbal behaviors you have gathered, the list of times and dates when those behaviors occurred, and your summary of the business reasons that an immediate correction must be made, you’re fully prepared and ready to talk.

Fi nd a pr ivat e pl a c e t o t a l k. Discuss the situation with the individual and explain that his behavior—‘not his attitude’--is causing a problem. You may start like this: “I have a problem, and I need your help.” Saying “I” instead of “you” reduces defensiveness. Then talk about the specific things you have seen and heard--the things you know for sure--that concern you. Tell the person exactly why they concer n you, and then ask for his/her help in solving the problem.

Don’t expect to get any useful responses. What you will probably get is a lot of denial--and maybe even an accusation that you’re overreacting. Wrap up this initial discussion swiftly by saying, “That’s great. I’m glad you feel there’s nothing to it. Let’s get back together in a week or so and make sure that the problem is solved.”

There is a good chance that realizing others are aware of one’s bad behavior is enough to get the person to decide to change. A week later, if there hasn’t been a total turnaround, talk again. Point out additional examples of inappropriate behaviors that concer n you and, once more, request a change in his ways. Again, expect denial and, again, wrap up the meeting on a positive note.

In all these conversations, your job is to listen as much as it is to talk. Is there any reasonable explanation for the way the person is acting? Is Sanath even aware of what he is doing? It may be that the inappropriate attitude is simply a coping mechanism for a genuine life challenge that the person is trying her best to contend with. This is where an employee assistance programme is indispensable.

If you need a third session, you have to get more serious. Point out bluntly that getting along with others and maintaining cooperative and businesslike relationships are as much a part of the job as building new prospects or processing repair claims. Explain the business reasons why change is ‘mandatory’--not preferred or requested, but obligatory and compulsory. Don’t hesitate to tell the person that he/she must stop behaving in unacceptable ways. Tell the person that you’re the leader and you set the rules. Tell the individual exactly what kind of behavior is required: Courteous, cooperative and helpful.

Performance appraisal

Your performance appraisal form can be a powerful tool in bringing about an attitude change, particularly if it’s not performance appraisal time. Generally an appraisal for m asks managers to assess not only the results the person produces but her behaviors and competencies as well. Find the most appropriate place on the form to write about the person’s attitudinal failings and describe in detail the unacceptable behaviors. Be sure to circle the for m’s lowest rating, whether it’s ‘unsatisfactory’ or ‘fails to meet expectations’ or a ‘1’ rating. In the course of your conversation, hand the person the appraisal form and say, “I know it’s not time for your performance appraisal right now, but if it were, this is what it would say.” Then hand the damning (but accurate) appraisal to the individual and let him/her read the narrative and the rating.

Continue by saying, “Unless there is a dramatic and sustained change in your interactions with co-workers and customers, this is what you can expect when appraisal time rolls around. I wanted you to see this now so there won’t be any surprises.” It is proven that over 50 per cent success could be achieved by following these steps.

Bad attitude categories

Based on my experience, I believe it necessary to se parate ‘ Bad Attitude’ into several categories if we’re to gain insight into the problem. It seems logical, but I’m open to alternative suggestions. Tentatively that gives us the following categories:

Those who just don’t like working in the current corporate culture

Those with mental conditions of some type

Those with stress and life challenges totally unrelated to the organisation

Those who don’t like their current job

Those who believe they have the right/obligation to understand why they’re asked to do something

Those who disagree with management decisions

Those who do not like to accept an unavoidable change

Some or all of the above The appropriate solution steps (as we have discussed) to be selected should be determined by which one (or ones) of the above we believe is the source of the problem. Being ‘business fit’ means taking the lead when the chips are down. This is one of those times. So, take up the challenge.

( The writer i s a c or por at e director with over 25 years of senior managerial experience. He can be contacted on lionwije@ live.com)