uncivil emloyee - how to counsel/set standards
Lonnie
7 Posts
Hi, I'm a newbie and am a supervisor, not a human resource specialist. I need help! I have an employee at a different location who works very hard, is extremely productive & dependable in the quantity and quality of work. She's always received good performance reviews (for years) based on her work. The problem is: she is extremely uncivil to co-workers and to others in the shared environment. She doesn't realize how weird her behavior but it is extremely upsetting and offensive to her co-workers. How does one start to add the interpersonal aspect to performance reviews - i.e. stuff like "nasty tone of voice" and "stuck nose in air and turned head when co-worker said good morning"? The employee exibits the extreme of introverted self absorbed behavior. (I'm not dissing introverts, I'm one myself.) It's hard for me, at a distance, to evaluate how much is just her oblivion to anyone other than herself, and how much is game-playing and manipulation. Her co-workers think a it is manipulation and that she knows exactly what she's doing. One of her co-workers described a typical interaction observed: If person from another department enters the work area for business reasons and says good morning, Jan will ignore the person and turn and walk away. If the person *doesn't* say good morning, Jan will say GOOD MORNING TO YOU!! in a tone of voice that is scolding and hostile. She always puts the other person in negative light. Another ongoing situtation is that in a work group of 4, Jan will speak directly to only one person, addressing that person by name, and ignoring the existance or input of other staff. Somedays (or part of days)she's very chatty but most of the time acts like she wishes the rest of humanity didn't exist - her co-workers complain they don't know what to expect from her one day to the next, her behavior is very uneven. On days her direct supervisor is absent, she makes notes on her statistic sheets like "nice day today" or draws smiley faces. She has walked up to her supervisor and said "you treat me like dirt" but when asked to clarify or tell the supervisor what the problem is, she just turns and walks away.
Jan seems unable to cope with the (what to her) are stresses of life like the rest of us do. She comments/complains.vents ad nauseum about trivial things like the elevator being slow, the rain, the cafeteria running out of food she wants (yet she chooses to go for lunch 15 minutes before the cafeteria closes each day. She works obsessively -- for ex., empties the everbody's trashcan 3 times a day--and it's not her responsibility to empty the trash! She's currently attending EAP. (for about the 4th time) Any advice about how to put together some sort of plan to increase her civility, hostile behavior, and so forth will be appreciated.
Jan seems unable to cope with the (what to her) are stresses of life like the rest of us do. She comments/complains.vents ad nauseum about trivial things like the elevator being slow, the rain, the cafeteria running out of food she wants (yet she chooses to go for lunch 15 minutes before the cafeteria closes each day. She works obsessively -- for ex., empties the everbody's trashcan 3 times a day--and it's not her responsibility to empty the trash! She's currently attending EAP. (for about the 4th time) Any advice about how to put together some sort of plan to increase her civility, hostile behavior, and so forth will be appreciated.
Comments
Couple of points of concern here. You mentioned she empties everyone's trash cans several times a day. This sounds like an obsessive-compulsive type of behavior to me which is treatable by medication; also the fact that she has been in the EAP four times (without apparent improvement) says volumes.
I assume you have counseled this person. Sometimes, it's not enough if a person is technically "good" at their jobs. One of the hallmarks of a good employee is their ability to get along with others. Everyone has bad days and may have a "tiff" or two with co-workers, but usually this is a short-lived thing and everyone kisses and makes up by the end of the day. But....this behavior sounds deep-rooted and hostile. You may have to put some type of ultimatum such as "I must see an immediate and permanent change in how you conduct yourself toward your co-workers or further disciplinary action may have to be taken."
In this case, I am not sure it is going to make any difference. You may have to terminate for the sake of keeping your good employees.
Our EAP is great about referring people who require more than they can give to the appropriate specialists. Sounds to me like your lady may need more than a couple counseling sessions.
I call it the "Diva Syndrome" and like Rockie stated, they are usually miserable human beings. The divas are usually long-term employees who are technically excellent in his/her job and treat everyone else as though they are inferior because they aren't as knowledgeable. They refuse to be part of a team and refuse to share their knowledge to help others learn and throw little tantrums when others make mistakes. Regardless of the reason behind their behavior, it should not be tolerated. Often they think that because they are so good at what they do, that their behavior will be tolerated and sometimes it has. It is usually an eye-opener when they are told that it won't be tolerated and they must start treating everyone with courtesy and respect or face eventual termination. Frankly, I haven't seen too many cases of divas being able to change.
>
>I call it the "Diva Syndrome" and like Rockie stated, they are usually
>miserable human beings. The divas are usually long-term employees who
>are technically excellent in his/her job and treat everyone else as
>though they are inferior because they aren't as knowledgeable.
I call them Prima Dona's. Same description.
Paul is right, don't fight them, or stoop to their level - you will lose.
On our employee appraisal forms there is a section on cooperation. She may do an excellent job on her own, but think how much more productive she could be if she had everyone else's full cooperation. And, the lack of cooperation is her fault. She needs to be made aware of that. She would get low marks for cooperation in our evaluation process.
The employee who is a good worker but obnoxious to co-workers is one of the most challenging discipline problems. Go slow and document the issues. Good luck.
1. Don't reward her bad behavior. Don't give her the attention she is seeking by trying to appease her.
2. Discuss the situation with her. Avoid feeling, subjective statements. Use concrete language and examples. Be organized and logical. Show how working together is important to her success and the success of the organization.
3. Praise and recognize her achievements and abilities. Show how her antics tarnish her reputation and cheat her out of getting the credit she deserves.
4. Make sure she understands YOU ARE ON HER SIDE. This is crucial. She has to see you as someone that is trying to look out for her. Show her how you are going to help her look good, win, and be right!
5. Don't go to war with her. You will lose.
These recommendations are based on her perceived "driving/analytical" personality. They are designed to appeal to her specific emotional/psychological needs.
Paul
Good luck...keep us posted.
Cinderella
RELATIONS WITH OTHER STAFF MEMBERS: Consider willingness to cooperate, ability to get along with others and ability to communicate. Consider also courtesy, consideration and helpfulness and how these factors influence ability to work effectively. (Note: for these purposes, "courteous" means polite; "considerate" means respectful of the rights and feelings of others; and "thoughtful" means that the employee anticipates the wants and needs of others.)
Don D is right. You need to get this situation under control before it takes control of you.
Anne in Ohio
Lonnie