Here are 10 tips for confronting employees whose negative behavior has begun to affect co-workers and the company according to researchers Timothy M. Gardner, Utah State University, Chad H. Van Iddekinge, Florida State University, and Peter W. Hom, Arizona State University:
Don’t get drawn into the employees’ negative mindset.
Listen to their points, but be a realistic optimist.- Avoid getting into an argument.
Negative people thrive on the negative energy of arguments. Point out areas of agreement when possible in order to build rapport. Keep your cool. - Set standards.
Spell out the consequences of negative behavior, such as decreased morale. Evaluate or discipline them on behavior, not attitude. - Ask questions.
Force the employee to be specific about what is creating his or her negative thoughts and actions. - Try role-playing.
Ask the employee to put himself in your shoes and pretend he has been asked to resolve the problem. That way, you will have the employee contribute his ideas for the best possible solutions. Involving the employee may also lead to more positive feelings about the solution or outcome since he or she had a hand in creating it. - Listen carefully.
Use active listening to ensure that you’re understanding the employee correctly. - Don’t lower your expectations of them.
A negative attitude doesn’t necessarily mean a poor performer. - Empower employees.
Stop the “victim” mentality from forming. Allow employees to take responsibility for “good” events, so they can make them happen again; and for the “bad” events, so they have the power to change them in the future. - Solicit feedback.
Ask for employees’ opinions before making major decisions that will affect them. The more you listen to employees and take an active interest in their concerns, the less likely they will be to complain to each other. - Hire right.
Identify negative people before they’re hired. During the interview, listen for feelings that “life isn’t fair” in response to questions like: Have you ever felt you’ve been treated unfairly in the past? What were your chief concerns about management in your previous jobs? and What would you have changed if you were the manager at your last job?
4 Important Don’ts
- Don’t shower negativists with lots of attention.
You’re only rewarding bad behavior. - Don’t stop asking them to pitch in
and do tasks outside their normal job descriptions. Otherwise, you’re also punishing positive (or less vocal) employees. - Don’t correct them less often in order to avoid dealing with the attitude.
Employees can’t be expected to change for the better if they’re not asked to. - Don’t allow employees to get bored or complacent.
A negative attitude develops easily when there’s “nothing to look forward to.”