Latest / Enhance.training / How To Handle Team Members with Bad Attitudes - 6 Tried & Tested Steps

Transcript

How To Handle Team Members with Bad Attitudes - 6 Tried & Tested Steps · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How to handle team members with bad attitudes.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Disruptive team members is a problem we've all faced either when managing a team ourselves or working in a team.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Other team members' bad attitudes can quickly affect your own attitude and performance and the team's attitude and performance.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: And dealing with negative employees is energy draining at the best of times for all those around them.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to take you through six steps to take to improve the situation as a manager of that team.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are a coworker, these steps will be just as useful for you to follow as well.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: This is what we're going to cover.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: First, do not ignore the problem.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Second, find out why.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Third, temporary or permanent.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, decide on the best action to take.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, set expectations, and sixth, make the change happen.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Bad attitudes can be more disruptive than poor performance on Team Dynamics, happiness and overall team performance.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: It is in no one's interest to allow team members to continue with a bad attitude.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles and I've had a 25-year management career in Innocent Drinks, Fosters, EY, Peer Consulting, and many other less well-known companies.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: I've also won best team prizes at national and company level.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: I've had to learn how to handle team members with bad attitudes early in my career.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: The worst thing to do is do nothing, even though ignoring the problem appears to be the easiest.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like many new managers, I learnt this the hard way.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with colleagues and friends and do visit us at enhance.training and take a look at the online courses and resources to help you lead and manage your team.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go through six key steps to take for the benefit of all.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: When you're thinking about how to handle team members with bad attitudes, the first and most important step is not to ignore the problem.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: A team member with a bad attitude can quickly infect others with negative behaviours and you can easily see team morale and motivation heading downwards.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: It is your job as a manager to handle this problem.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: To do your job, you cannot ignore the situation.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: You must take action.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: All the other team members are looking at you to see how you will react, and your reactions are going to be setting the rules, not what you say.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: If you take no action, you are effectively signalling to the team that it is perfectly fine to have bad attitudes through your lack of action.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: If team motivation and happiness drop, then team performance is likely to follow fairly soon afterwards, and then you'll have your manager worried about your performance.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: So take action as quickly as practical after you become aware that a person in the team has a bad attitude.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not the manager of the team, then your role is to make the manager aware of the bad attitude of a team member.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: And before you speak to your manager, take the time to gather some examples, note down what is said by the person and when.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: Start the conversation with your manager along the lines of Peter, I'm worried that something is wrong with Bob.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: He seems very down and is being very negative at the moment.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the examples of what he is saying to colleagues is and then go on to a couple of your examples.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: If your manager is not aware of the problem, they will not be able to take action and successfully manage disruptive employees.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: So don't ignore the problem or hope somebody else will say something.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Take action.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: The second step when planning how to handle team members with bad attitudes is to find out exactly why the employee has a bad attitude.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: There can be a huge range of reasons, and until you know why the behaviour is happening, it is very hard to decide what action to take when planning how to handle employees with bad attitudes.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Some examples of the reasons could be, you know, firstly, the team member is really upset at how they're being treated at work.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Colleagues might be causing them problems, they might have a problem with what you as their manager is doing, or the actions that you've taken, or they may have recently missed a promotion, etc.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: There can be a whole range of reasons.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, the team member has problems at home or in their personal lives, which is impacting their outlook and behaviour at work.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Third, the employee is a negative or a glass half-full person, you know, they're always looking for faults or what could go wrong.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, the employee might have low self-esteem or low confidence and is trying to bring others down to make themselves feel better.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: These are only some of the many reasons.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Before you start dealing with the negative employee, speak to other team members.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Is the bad attitude being experienced by all or many of the team members, or is it just being experienced by one person?
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Collate a number of different examples from several team members so you can provide examples to the individual rather than just your opinion.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: This creates a much stronger impact and is much harder for the team member with a bad attitude to just brush off.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Then have a private meeting with the individual with a bad attitude.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Use the examples to highlight the issues and ask what is causing this behaviour.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Then stop talking and actively listen to their answer.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Give them plenty of space and time to respond.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Don't take the next steps until you understand what is causing the bad attitude and disruptive behaviour.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: The third step when planning how to handle team members with bad attitudes is to decide if the bad attitude is likely to be temporary or a more permanent feature.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you have a team member who's worked with the company for years and until recently has had a good or reasonable attitude, then there is a good chance of being able to improve their attitude.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a new starter and they seem to be discouring discord within their team already, then there is a good chance that this might be a personality issue and a more permanent aspect of their behaviour and personality.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: So after understanding the reasons for the bad attitude, use your judgment to weigh up the effort of supporting the person to change their attitude and the likelihood of that support being successful against the time and effort you'll have to put in.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: For what appears to be a temporary bad attitude, then the effort is likely to be very worthwhile.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: If it appears a more permanent feature of their approach and behaviour, providing support and coaching is a lot less likely to be successful.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: You'll not be able to change the behaviour and attitude of the other person unless they understand the problem their bad attitude is causing and they want to change their approach.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: The disruptive employee has to choose to change.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: You can't make them change or choose for them.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth step when planning how to handle team members with bad attitudes is to decide the best course of action.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: There are a wide range of actions that you could consider, and it is important that you choose the right approach for the given situation.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: The surer you are that the individual is having a temporary period of bad attitude, then the more it is in yours and the company's interests to support them to get back to a more constructive and positive attitude.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: This saves the time and cost of hiring a new person and training them, etc.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, you're going to build loyalty in your team and with that person.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: All good reasons for investing the time to see if you can help them change their attitude.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: The more permanent the bad attitude appears to be, or the less evidence that the person has been more positive in the past, then the stronger I advise you to take steps to remove this person from the team and the company.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if the person has recently joined and is demonstrating a bad attitude when they should be on their best behaviour, what will they be like when they are more established in the business?
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: Why take the risk and keep them in the business?
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Use your judgment as to how temporary or permanent the bad attitude is.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Consider this when planning what course of action to take.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: The fifth step when planning how to handle team members with bad attitudes is to set out your expectations in writing.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: In most scenarios, I would suggest that you set out a personal improvement plan with the individual.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: This is a written document that you put together setting out your expectations of their behaviour, with examples of what good behaviour or attitude looks like.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: A very important step is to get the individual to contribute and give them the opportunity to negotiate points that they feel are unfair or unreasonable.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: If you have gathered sufficient examples in step two, then this process will get to mutually agreed goals that you need, i.e.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: improving their behaviour and attitude, even if the individual is being difficult.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Give the individual a time frame to improve their attitude.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, three months is long enough to see significant improvement to a bad attitude.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: If there is no or little improvement, you can always take more formal action sooner than three months.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Set measurable milestones where possible so both you and the other party know when they have reached acceptable attitudes and behaviours.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: This step is not as easy to do for attitude issues as it is for performance issues.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: An example might be team members no longer experiencing negative behaviour.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And to measure this you could use several people's opinions rather than just your own.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: This is fairer and is seen to be fairer and therefore less disputable.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: Then set up fortnightly or monthly progress meetings and capture in writing the progress or the lack of it with the individual.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Try to avoid a situation which has your opinion pitted against theirs.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Use factual evidence or third-party opinion as much as possible.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Coach and support the individual as much as possible or get another person to undertake this role, assuming you've decided that improving the individual's attitude is beneficial for the team and the business.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: This is a really important step, so do put the time and effort to do this.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: The sixth step when planning how to handle team members with bad attitudes is to make the change happen.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: As a manager or leader, learning how to manage disruptive employees to a successful conclusion is important.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: As discussed, bad attitudes can create a lot of problems for you, the team and the business.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: So, one way or another, you need to help the person's attitude to a much more positive place or move the person from the team and the business.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: I believe in giving team members a good chance.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Spending time coaching, listening and supporting them can make a huge difference to their attitude.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Helping them remove the problem that is causing their bad attitude will also make a huge difference.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: With valued employees that have added a lot to the team, then making the time to support them is a no-brainer.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: Keep a documented framework of the support you provide and keep monitoring their progress against agreed expectations.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: If you have listened, supported and coached, yet there is no or very little change to the team member's bad attitude, then you need to take sensible steps to remove them from your team before they do further damage.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Or if the team member with a bad attitude is a new person, on probation or early in their career with your company, then it is your judgment call whether you move much more quickly to remove them from the business.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Do not shy away from taking steps to remove disruptive employees with bad attitudes from your business.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: Good luck in how you go about dealing with negative employees.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: By taking positive action, you are signalling to the individual and your team that you will not put up with bad attitudes.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Be as supportive and as fair as possible, and if that doesn't work, take alternative action.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, the most important action to take in how to deal with an employee with a bad attitude is to start the process that I've taken you through.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: The sooner the better.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with colleagues and friends, and do visit us at enhance.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.