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ASK HR: How do you deal with an employee with a bad attitude?

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By FRED GITUKU
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Q. I am a team manager at work, in charge of a workforce of eight. I got this job three months ago, and have noticed that one of the team members is very negative. She rarely has anything good to say about the company. How do I handle her because such an attitude undermines team spirit?

Far greater than the discomfort of dealing with issues of poor performance for a line manager is the pain inflicted by a team member or a few members whose poor attitude corrodes the entire team’s social fabric. It is not uncommon for such attitudes to include spiteful gossip and a perpetually begrudged spirit.

And it is somewhat unsurprising: there is little comparison between the time taken to prepare people to do their jobs and the amount spent preparing them to go about interacting with others productively in the course of work. There are no diplomas for a winning attitude.

As a line manager, you need to have the capacity to embrace diversity, which includes people who may have views that vary from your own. Be careful therefore not to lose lessons you could learn from the criticism of individuals in your team who may appear disagreeable. If it is a difference of opinion, it ought not to be personal. If the poor attitude is due to lack of self-awareness, then coaching may help. A malicious attitude however should not be allowed to fester since it will definitely undermine collaboration and performance in a team.

Have you had a conversation with the individual concerning her behaviour and its impact on the team? Is the view of other team members about her consistent with yours? Have you noted down the offensive behaviour in writing for the record? Has your feedback borne any results? If not, have you warned her formally and considered subjecting the matter to your organisation’s disciplinary process?

It may be daunting, but one of the key marks of a good line manager is the courage to have difficult constructive conversations which bring an erring team member to a place of accountability.

As with sports teams, the attitude and atmosphere in the locker room can easily determine the outcome on the pitch. If the offending team member demonstrates no change of heart after your efforts to help, be decisive and part ways with her. It will be best for the team and the bottom-line.



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