Stripes and Bars AMAURY MURGADO
Dealing with a Bad Attitude One employee's unchecked poor behavior can negatively affect an entire unit's performance. After you discuss the whys of it, you need to focus on the We all have different ideas about what constitutes having a bad attitude. Where we can agree is that bad attitudes "how to fix it" part. You need to reach an understanding on can be very disruptive. Having a bad day that sours your at- the corrective action, set up a follow-up date to check on the titude happens to everyone. Someone having a bad day ev- progress, and continue to monitor for improvement. It's at ery day is unacceptable. Sooner or later you will have to deal this point you must ensure that your employee understands with this type of disruptive subordinate. If you don't deal the need for your directness but it's also up to you to leave with it, his or her unchecked attitude will spread like a con- him feeling you care about his opinions, concerns, and that tagious disease. Your only play is to define the problem in you are there to help him. It sounds like a contradiction but terms of behavior and the negative effect it has on individual it's not. You can do your job as a supervisor by holding them accountable and still show concern for your subordinate's and unit performance. Your first step is to document the unwanted behaviors. A welfare at the same time; to be truly effective you need both. Ultimately the goal is to bring your subordinate's behavior bad attitude will be expressed in behaviors such as excessive carelessness, inattention to work, laziness, excessive social- back to meeting or exceeding standards. Just remember, you izing, and insensitivity to others. You need to note how many can do everything right and still end up with a behavior probtimes these thing occur and how it affects the normal ebb and lem. I can summarize the dilemma by stating this old clichĂŠ: "You can lead a horse to water but you can't flow of the workplace. You also need to start Regardless make it drink." At the end of the day, it's up a list of reasons why the behavior must end. of what the to the employee to decide if she will change A good place to start is with your policy and procedure. The more you can attach a root cause is, her attitude or not. And if she doesn't, you'll negative behavior to a policy violation, the the employee's have to up your game to include progressive stronger your positon becomes. Most agenpoor behavior discipline. Progressive discipline follows this basic cies have some type of policy that covers concan't continue. model that includes verbal counseling, writformance to rules and laws, treating fellow ten counseling, written reprimand, suspenemployees with respect, and some type of sion, and finally termination if it goes that far. unsatisfactory performance clause. Most unFollowing this model, your initial attempts at correcting wanted behavior will fall under one of those broad categories. Once you get your documentation together you will have the problem has already involved verbal and written counto meet with the offending subordinate. You have four goals seling. If you need to go further, it's time for some type of to accomplish: you need to communicate your concerns, formal discipline. Discipline usually starts with a written determine the cause of the negative behavior, identify av- reprimand and later goes into a suspension without pay. enues for improvement, and ultimately improve the em- Though you hope it doesn't go much farther, some employees insist on digging their own graves and face termination ployee's performance. When you communicate your concerns, avoid the un- no matter how hard you try. Your takeaway from this article should be twofold; you comfortable small talk and just get right to it. You must be direct and candid by speaking in specifics. Make sure you don't have to put up with a bad attitude and you can deal give examples of what is unacceptable behavior and what with it in terms of unwanted behaviors. Documenting, you deem acceptable (to compare and contrast). Explain counseling, and dishing out discipline is all part of being a supervisor at any level. It's best you prepare for these evenwhat it is exactly you expect out of the employee. Next, try to identify the root of the problem. Is it home or tualities early in your career so that you are prepared to work related? Is it something you can help with or do you need meet them head on. Finding a mentor will help as well. to refer it to someone else? Does the employee have a justifiable grievance? Does it involve a training issue? Regardless of Amaury Murgado is a special operations lieutenant with the what the root cause is, the person's poor behavior can't con- Osceola County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office. He has over 28 years of tinue. You need to make that very clear as you offer to assist law enforcement experience and is a retired master sergeant the employee in dealing with any issues he or she may have. from the Army Reserve.
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POLICE AUGUST 2015