Reprinted from the May 15, 2005 issue of MANAGER’S LEGAL BULLETIN, a widely read employment law newsletter that communicates legal guidelines to managers through real-life dialogue and concrete examples. Click here to view a sample issue, get more information or sign up for a risk-free subscription.

Bad Attitude Tarnishes Otherwise Shining Performance

Workers who achieve good sales numbers, write top-notch reports, or output impressive quantities are exactly the types of individuals you want working for you. Employees with bad attitudes are not the type of personality you want in your midst, though. But what if they are one and the same? You must weigh a star performer’s value and potential to change versus the effects of his/her bad attitude on your department. Sometimes, you’ll have to put the disciplinary ball into play because a solid work pattern doesn’t always make up for a contentious personality.

Rude, Crude...
“Andrew, there’s no question you’re an excellent performer,” manager Cynthia Tate started, “but, as your past performance reviews have indicated, your interpersonal skills are seriously lacking. You’ve got to learn how to get along with your co-workers.

“In your last review, I specifically rated your attitude as below average and noted that when you do actually speak to others, which isn’t often, you are argumentative, sarcastic, disrespectful, and patronizing.”

Andrew Ogden sat with his arms crossed and stared blankly at Tate.

“I thought placing you on a performance improvement plan would help,” she continued, “but I guess I was wrong. Just this morning, Laura complained that you either refuse to listen to what she says, or if you do listen, you constantly interrupt her.”

Ogden rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Like anything Laura has to say is of any importance to me.”

“See, that is exactly the attitude I am talking about. The next time your behavior negatively impacts a co-worker or the department as a whole, you’ll find yourself on a three-day suspension without pay.”

...And full of Attitude!
Ogden’s attitude didn’t improve, even after being suspended and receiving yet another mixed performance review. He angrily confronted a co-worker over a report she had given him. When Tate tried to counsel him on how he could have had the same conversation in a calmer manner, he snapped at her, “I can’t help it if my work ethic is greater than my peers’!” That was the final straw for Tate. She felt she had no other option but to fire him.

Ogden mulled his options and decided to file a lawsuit, claiming he was disciplined and fired because of his race. Race had nothing to do with it, ruled an appeals court. Ogden was disciplined because of his well-documented attitude problems and poor behavior.

As this case shows, you do not have to readily forgive the personality problem of a top producer.

Action Tips

• Everyone has a bad day, some more often than others. To determine how to handle an employee who exhibits a good work ethic, but a bad attitude, evaluate the following factors.
  
  
• Consider whether the incident is isolated or part of an ongoing problem. An employee who makes an uncharacteristic outburst deserves a verbal reminder that the behavior is inappropriate. An employee, like Ogden, who had repeated attitude problems, deserves something stronger, such as a written warning with a reminder that future incidents will result in harsher discipline.
  
  
• Look for extenuating circumstances. For example, an employee snaps at a co-worker after having to deal with a nasty customer. While the extenuating circumstance doesn’t excuse the behavior, it helps to explain it.
  
  
• Establish whether the employee recognizes that the behavior was wrong. Employees who fail to acknowledge their behavior was wrong or take responsibility for it are more likely to repeat it in the future.
  
  
• Be sure to talk about specific incidents and their effects on the department/company. Cut off excuses and denials, which signify a failure to understand the problem. You must present in clear and unequivocal terms that the employee must adjust his/her attitude.
  
  
• Take the employee’s position within the company into consideration. An employee speaking to peers in a patronizing or sarcastic manner is bad. A supervisor talking to subordinates that way is even worse.
  
  
• Decide whether there is any constructive feedback left to offer. In Tate’s case, she exhausted all of her options by providing verbal counseling, as well as placing Ogden in a performance improvement plan.

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