Nearly all business owners are on the lookout for employees that crank out results through better and harder work. Getting one of these high performing employees is a dream come true for the sake of your company. But what are you supposed to do when one of those employees turns out to have an attitude that’s bringing your company down? Here are ways to deal with high performers with bad attitudes:
Don’t Let it Slide
When an employee exhibits an inappropriate behavior they should be disciplined according to your progressive discipline policy, regardless of the employee’s productivity levels. Waiting for the behavior to change on it’s own rarely works. Be proactive and address issues as soon as possible. This will signify to your company that you won’t tolerate poor behavior, no matter who it’s from.
Have a Conversation
An employee isn’t likely to change their behaviors if nobody addresses those behaviors with them. As a business leader, you need to meet with the employee and let them know what behaviors are inappropriate and how they hurt the company. Additionally, it’s a good idea to ask the employee if there are any problems in their work, especially if the bad attitude came up suddenly. Asking this will help you to understand if there are any underlying problems driving the employee’s bad attitude and if there’s anything you need to remedy.
Take Preventative Measures
Doing everything you can to stop bad attitudes before they fester in your company can help your entire workforce become more productive. Make sure to keep open lines of communication so everyone in your company feels comfortable reporting problems. Coach your supervisors and support them as they work through behavior issues.
A bad apple really can spoil the whole bunch, even if they are your highest performing employee. Following these tips will help you eliminate issues before they spread through your organization.