Is there someone in your office who is impacting everyone else? Maybe they’re affecting the mood in the office. Maybe people refuse to work with them or find ways NOT to work with them. Is work less productive or successful when they’re involved?
I see this type of thing often in the companies that approach me for help. When one employee has a particularly bad attitude, it can affect the entire work environment. I've heard stories of employees tiptoeing around toxic co-workers and refusing to delegate tasks because their co-worker's attitude is so horrible, other employees would rather do the tasks themselves than ask the toxic employee whose job it actually is. I heard one story about a toxic employee who had to take an extended leave and while they were away the team functioned better together and the mood was generally better than before. It was such a stark contrast that when the toxic employee eventually returned, they made the decision to cut that employee's hours and have others continue to handle the tasks rather than go back to dealing with the attitude.
Your business shouldn’t suffer just because there is a “Negative Nancy” doing work that has to get done. This person could be causing problems behind the scenes that you can’t see. Bad attitudes can impact productivity, morale, employee retention, and missed deadlines. One client almost missed a major deadline because their toxic employee decided it would be ok to wait to do something they were specifically told had to happen that day. They even had the deadline written down and still almost missed it.
It's extremely important to set clear expectations and document how work should be done when managing employees. This not only establishes a benchmark for their performance but also makes it easier to keep track of their progress. When expectations aren't met, having them written down helps address the issue effectively. Clearly communicating these expectations and giving deadlines for meeting them is crucial.
Documenting workflow and expectations is vital for clarity and holding employees accountable. It helps in objectively identifying any problems with attitude or work quality. With documented processes, performance reviews and decisions can rely on specific data rather than subjective judgments. Furthermore, if there's a need to replace an employee, having everything documented simplifies training their replacement.
Clear communication and documentation of expectations play a pivotal role in managing employees. This approach establishes a transparent system for evaluating performance and ensures swift action in addressing any issues. Ultimately, it ensures that decisions related to employees are based on objective assessments rather than personal opinions.
Do you want to remove toxicity from your business? Reach out to Beck Insights so we can help clear the air: https://beckinsights.com/get-started
