“No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I’m not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal.”
–Bill Cosby
It’s safe to say that employees don’t always learn their tendencies from surrounding co-workers. Just like a child will parrot adult behaviors, your staff will imitate actions of the foreman. But, that’s not always the situation—we really just wanted to use a Bill Cosby quote—often employees will be rebellious all on their own.
We are going to lay down how to break a bad egg and produce some delicious employee work ethic. Here are three workplace laws that will help solve persistent poor behavior.
- Nip it in the bud. We have all heard of the “snowball effect.” A situation starts out small and grows into an out-of-control avalanche taking out all pedestrians in its way. Allowing a bit of “bad” gives the impression it’s acceptable to throw integrity out the window. Take charge and stomp out minor offenses to avoid an attitude out-pouring.
- Be direct, be quick. Nobody appreciates, or respects, being lectured for an hour about their offenses. Be straightforward and present the consequence directly. This exemplifies that you have control, a plan of action and the authority to prevent distracting circumstances in your office.
- Reinforce with constructive feedback. Following up with your employee after an incident occurs will 1) keep the line of communication open and receptive, and 2) teach both parties how to deal with conflict in the right place, time and approach. Having regular feedback sessions is a great tool to have set in stone. It keeps communication flowing, and allows that connection to build trust and respect.
Confronting people how you would want to be approached is the ultimate key to solving issues. It’s easy to face a problem with the wrong attitude or demeanor. Strive to be composed and controlled—it will get your point across even louder than getting upset. Give respect, get respect.
Finally, if you would like to learn more about WorkCompass and our performance management software. Get in touch today and request a demo.
