Working with someone who has a bad attitude is not a pleasant experience. That being said, leaders can’t read minds, and so it’s entirely possible that this “bad attitude” is just a miscommunication. So here’s how you can handle an employee with a bad attitude.
First, ask to speak in private. Then, use the think B. I.
G methodology: Behavior, Impact, and Get Agreement. Outline the behavior in question, and keep it judgment-free. This is super important, and it can mean the difference between "someone's a grumpy Gus today" "well somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning" "I hear someone's a grumper grumperson" and "I saw you shrug earlier when I assigned a task to you, and it gave the impression that you couldn’t be bothered.
" After you’ve laid out the behavior clearly, detail the impact that behavior has on the team. Then finally, get agreement on how to go forward. In the end, it should sound something like this: “Jen, yesterday I noticed that you rolled your eyes at Gary and at the team huddle, you sighed when Annie asked a question.
I worry this gives the impression that you have a bad attitude and it will make your coworkers reluctant to work with you. Is this something you're aware of? " Good luck!
