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Can Toxic Employees Turn Into Positive Producers?

Posted by admin in Psychology

Employees with toxic attitudes not only make life miserable for their bosses, they can poison an entire department, lowering the morale and productivity of everyone around them.  So what is a toxic employee? A 2009 article in Business West says we can make specific diagnoses of the following types: ‘Passive-Aggressive,’ ‘Whiner,’ and ‘Arguer.’

While some people may be naturally hostile or offensive, employees often turn toxic because of poor management. Supervisors and managers should ask themselves the following questions:

·Did we strive to meet the wants and needs of the employee? Do we know what specifically motivates the employee?

·Was the employee the best fit or qualified for the job? An inability to perform or complete tasks can easily turn an otherwise pleasant individual into a difficult employee.

·Did the employee have a good understanding of the expectations of the job? Was the employee expecting to perform certain duties but quickly ended up doing something completely different?

·Did the employee receive adequate training? Employees who are asked to perform a job without the necessary tools or training can quickly turn toxic, especially if criticized for poor performance.

· Did the employee receive adequate and consistent evaluations? Constant feedback and communication are essential to effective performance management. Employees should be aware of any ongoing issues and given the opportunity to correct or improve their performance.

Now that we’ve identified the problem, how about a solution? Focus on these five protocols:

1.    Identify the Problem. How was the employee’s behavior wrong?

2.    Engage in an interactive dialogue with the employee immediately. Effective communication is essential!

3.    Listen attentively to the employee’s reasons for his or her toxic behavior.

4.    Communicate your managerial responsibilities for addressing the performance problem.

5.    Collect and prepare the 3D’s (Data, Details, and Documents). If behavior can’t be altered, you might need these down the road.