Every manager has to deal with a certain amount of pessimistic, hostile or uncooperative behavior at times. But a hard-core negative attitude that starts with just one employee can quickly infect an entire department (or a whole company) if the manager doesn't rein it in quickly.
From raunchy reality shows to parent brawls at Little League games, incivility seems to be everywhere — so it's no surprise that rudeness has also invaded the workplace. Squabbling employees, screaming managers, colleagues who never respond to emails, co-workers who send texts while you're talking to them … all these people seem to have forgotten the basic rules of courtesy and respect. Take control with this important webinar — The Growing Problem of Workplace Incivility: How to Reduce Rudeness, Encourage Courtesy & Create a More Professional Atmosphere.
Here are 10 tips for confronting employees whose negative behavior has begun to affect co-workers and the company:
1. Don't get drawn into the employees' negative mindset. Listen to their points, but don't temper your own realistic optimism.
2. 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.
3. Set standards. Spell out the consequences of negative behavior, such as decreased morale. Base them on behavior, not attitude.
For example, you may not be able to change the fact that an employee doesn't like a certain company policy. But you can discipline employees if they don't follow the policy or are insubordinate in gossiping about it.
4. Ask questions. Force the employee to be specific about what is creating his or her negative thoughts and actions.
5. 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.
Join us Tuesday, December 20, for The Growing Problem of Workplace Incivility, and in just 75 minutes, you will learn to recognize the signs of an incivility epidemic at work, and then discover specific strategies for improving co-worker relationships, turning around a team, or changing an entire organizational culture. Register your team today.
6. Listen carefully. Use active listening to ensure that you're understanding the employee correctly.
7. Don't lower your expectations of them. A negative attitude doesn't necessarily mean a poor performer.
8. 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.
9. Solicit feedback. Always 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.
10. 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."
The Growing Problem of Workplace Incivility: How to Reduce Rudeness, Encourage Courtesy & Create a More Professional Atmosphere
The program will include the following topics: - Why common courtesy is not so common
- The vicious cycle of disrespect: when rudeness leads to revenge
- 7 warning signs of an incivility problem
- Childish adults: pouters, screamers & public attackers
- Communication insults: email bombers, cyberjunkies & nonresponders
- How incivility hurts productivity and increases turnover
- Why professional adults sometimes act like brats
Quick quiz: taking an honest look in the mirror- How silent bystanders and wimpy managers encourage offensive behavior
- Dealing with drama: gossips, snobs & office divas
- How co-workers can learn to have civil conversations about incivility
- Using a "team turnaround" to make your group more collaborative
- Legal hazards: frat boys, closet bigots & sexual predators
- 5-step formula for changing an organizational culture
- Beyond civility: 12 signs of a truly collaborative workplace.
You can also ask your specific questions directly to Marie McIntyre. And because this is a webinar, there is no limit to the number of colleagues you can invite to sit in on this interactive event. Join us December 20 to find out the strategies you need to turn your office from an uncivil war zone into a collaborative workplace.
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