It’s the little things, but ignore them at your peril.
It has been an interesting start to the year. It feels like there must be something in the air as many of my clients are phoning to talk to me about the same issue, employee attitude and behaviour. It feels like we live in a world now where everyone complains more or is just unhappy. Chat GPT is being used to create grievances and complaint letters, what probably starts off as a small niggle, suddenly becomes an overblown 5 page letter. It also feels like there is a lack of accountability, everything is someone else’s fault, this issue has happened to me and not because of me.
I have various conversations with clients about how to approach an employee’s attitude, they will react badly, they won’t be happy, they might want to leave. Dealing with an employees attitude is difficult and it is tempting to make excuses, like they don’t mean it, its just how they are. By taking that view you are enabling the behaviour. If they are rude to colleagues, if they stir up trouble or talk about people behind their back, they know what they are doing. If you don’t speak to them and address their behaviour they will carry on.
Examples of bad behaviour are sitting on their phone when they are meant to be working. You may allow employees to have their phones at work and that’s fine, however, if they are constantly scrolling, shopping, on social media or texting, that is not ok. Be clear around your expectations and boundaries, what is acceptable and what is not.
They may take longer for lunch, again you need to highlight that this is not acceptable. This is your time and you are paying them, it is ok to expect them to stick to the times.
What happens when other team members are complaining about someone to you? Often, they will tell you what has happened, followed by but I don’t want you to say anything to them. They don’t want them to know they have complained about them. I’ve had this happen in my own team, HR is not immune to these issues. So, what should you do? Well, it depends, if it is bullying, harassment or serious abuse then you have to deal with, it is illegal, unacceptable and you have a duty of care. Often it is silly little things, which if left unchecked will soon be big problems. I often encourage the employee to speak their colleague and resolve it themselves. However, if they keep complaining then it is a case of you are either going to speak to them regardless or they have to stop moaning about it. Of course, if there are lots of team members complaining about the same person then you will have to step in.
When two employees are not getting on, sitting down round a table and having a discussion to clear the air can help. Misunderstandings happen and things get taken out of context. Having that group chat and being clear on how you expect them to work together, lets them know that you are not going to put up with the backbiting.
Lastly, speak to employees about accountability. Help them to understand what they could have done better and how they can handle situations differently. Honest conversations are not bad. People react to situations and coaching them on how they could deal with it differently next time can be powerful. If they refuse to accept that they have done anything wrong, then you will need to think about whether they are right for your business.
If feels like the world is fraught right now and times are uncertain. Take the time every week to check in with your team. Schedule a 10 minute chat, ask them how they are feeling, what challenges are they facing, tell them what they have been doing well and where they can make changes, lastly ask them what support they need from you. Keeping on top of your teams challenges and understanding how you can support them will keep you ahead of problems and hopefully, stop some them happening at all.
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