Wilber always arrives late. Margareta constantly badmouths her employer. Joseph talks over others in meetings.
Welcome to the employees from hell. Their toxicity creates a negative workplace, causes resignations by colleagues and threatens the bottom lines of the best businesses.
What to do? Here are the actions supervisors can take to turn negative workers into positive performers.
1. Wilber is chronically late for work – and always has a good excuse.
Chronic lateness inconveniences colleagues and creates a dysfunctional workplace.
“Dealing effectively with Wilber is a two-step process,” says Eric Cormier, manager of HR Services at Insperity. “The first is to find out the real reasons why Wilber struggles to arrive on time. The second is to help him connect the dots to solve the problem.”
Keep in mind that Wilber may be just as frustrated as you by his chronic tardiness.
“The fact that Wilber always has a good excuse indicates either that he cannot see the bigger picture for his tardiness, or he is resisting taking accountability,” Cormier says.
Either way, Wilber needs help. Schedule a one-on-one conversation with the goal of shifting Wilber’s perspective so he begins to recognize the scope of his problem. Be open and nonjudgmental so Wilber feels comfortable revealing any personal challenges that are affecting his performance.
“Set your frustrations aside and be genuinely curious about why Wilber is late so often,” Cormier says.
Start by pointing out that he is rarely on time and ask why that might be the case. If recurring immovable conflicts like school drop-offs are the issue, then schedule flexibility might be the solution.
“Shifting Wilber’s official arrival time 30 minutes later could make Wilber a punctual employee overnight, and reduce his stress level, too,” Cormier says.
Perhaps Wilber has personal challenges that are causing the problem.
“Some mental health conditions can make it more challenging for employees to arrive on time,” Cormier says. “Gently ask him about how he is doing, giving him the opportunity to share without pressuring him to open up. Regardless of Wilber’s answer, his manager can remind him of any available personal resources such as an employee assistance program.”
The meeting should, above all, be solutions oriented.
“Be clear that the goal of the conversation is to step away from excuses, understand the bigger picture and come up with a lasting solution,” Cormier says.
Bonus tip: Schedule follow-up meetings so Wilber is held accountable for improvement and can request needed support.
2. Sandy keeps saying “It’s not my job” when asked to do a task.
Uncooperative employees who appeal to the constraints of their “job description” can frustrate the best of managers. The traditional solution was to throw down a gauntlet: get to work or get fired. But that can create morale problems that affect team performance and erode profitability.
Instead, undertake a three-step plan designed to uncover the hidden reason for Sandy’s behavior.
Step one: Assess the situation.
“What does your history with Sandy tell you in terms of her willingness to get a little bit stretched in the work she does?” says Bob Verchota, senior consultant at RPVerchota & Associates. “Is her reluctance something new, or did it start at a certain time? And is it related to one specific task, or many?”
The answers to these questions can provide clues to possible causes.
Step two: Ask Sandy for input about her motivations.
“Have a frank conversation with Sandy,” Verchota says. “Cover what you know about her work habits, as elucidated in step one. If she has been willing to perform extra duties in the past, what has changed in the organization?”
Step three: Determine solutions.
Rather than impose a solution from above, ask Sandy to suggest a path forward. If she feels her skills are inadequate to the new duties, that can be solved with additional training. If the problem is personnel clashes, this can be solved with counseling for all involved.
Bonus tip: Remind recalcitrant employees that most job descriptions include a phrase requiring employees to perform “other duties as assigned.”
3. Joseph is in the habit of “talking over” others in meetings.
Failure to deal with an overbearing team member can create morale and productivity problems when employees feel their contributions are belittled.
“Have a sit-down meeting with Joseph and explain how their behavior is affecting other people,” says Deanna Baumgardner, president of Employers Advantage. “Say something like: ‘We’ve noticed you’re talking over people, you’re talking loudly and interrupting. We need to give other people the opportunity to share. Here’s what we expect from you.’ Then, provide guidance on how Joseph should pause his own statements to let others contribute.”
Despite Joseph’s best efforts to improve, he may occasionally lapse. If his intrusions continue unchallenged, other employees will lose respect for the manager. It’s wise to speak up and create opportunities for other people to express their ideas. This can be done with a statement as simple as: “Joseph, thank you for your feedback. Now let’s hear from somebody else.”
Bonus tip: Ask Joseph if he would like coaching on how to communicate well in group settings.
4. Julia is bad-mouthing a customer to a colleague, and another customer overhears her remarks.
Customers have long memories. When they hear an employee make negative remarks about a fellow customer, they will start to wonder if they will also be targeted. Revenues will likely be affected.
“You should talk to Julia to say you have observed her behavior and it is not acceptable,” says Anastasiia Khyzhniak, talent enablement director at Jooble. “She needs to understand that such actions create a bad environment for other workers, turn off customers and create a bad image for the company in the community.”
Even if a customer had not overheard her remark, imposing negative sentiments on another employee can create a toxic workplace.
The trick here is to avoid being too negative in tone before you get Julia’s side of the story. Perhaps she was having an especially bad day or other factors played into the event.