Of course there is no one size fits all approach. People are people. And for those of you that tend to like things black or white, you are not going to be happy about this - people are very gray. Every person comes with their own set of unique perceptions, ideas, reactions, and results. The good news is there are some simple guidelines for the most part.
Routine Performance Issues
For example, the slacker just requires a little micro-management and clear goals so you can manage the performance (either towards improvement or out of the position). This micro-managing is not intended to be a permanent fix, it's a short term solution toward improvement. The "Whiner" likely wants attention and this is the only way they know how to get it. Once you dig past the surface performance and get to the root cause of the problem it is much easier to solve. I've been known to sit a problem employee down and say "Here are the expectations. What do you need from us in order to perform to expectations?" Putting the ball in their court seems to lead to resolution much faster than trying to guess what we need to do.
The Most Damaging Employee
There is one type of employee however, that I firmly believe is the most damaging to any business. They are a cancer cell in the business world and if I stick to that analogy, only quick detection and massive amounts of chemotherapy can cure the damage they cause. And they are the most difficult to detect because they are masters of deception. I would much rather deal with a slacker, people in conflict, lack of teamwork, or a difficult supervisor than deal with this person. By now, your interest should be sufficiently peaked. Who am I referring to? The Gossip.
You may wonder how to handle this employee because if your organization is very big at all, I guarantee you have one or two. The first step is to detect and derail them. If this person is brave enough to bring the gossip to you, consider yourself lucky. You don't want to stop anyone from bringing information to you but you want to make sure they know you are going to dig to get all the facts before jumping on their drama bandwagon. So, let me handle this a couple of ways.
Scenario: Your Gossip brings juicy info to you.
1. Thank them for bringing you the info (after all it's better they brought it to you than to everyone else).
2. Ask lots of questions (and I do mean lots).
How did you come to find this out?
Did you personally see them do this?
Did they tell you that or did you infer that?
What exactly did they say?
What exactly did you see?
How do you know?
Who have you shared this with?
Did you see the email?
Once you start asking questions and they can't answer one, they will begin to realize they can't make things up. This approach alone will stifle a bit of the gossip.
3. Caution them that things aren't always what they seem and educate them on the damaging effects of gossip.
4. If necessary, ensure them you will handle the situation but you will not be reporting back to them unless it has to do with them personally. Tell them you expect them to keep what they know private as you seek more information.
5. If you hear they have shared the information with others after your talk, address the gossip as a performance issue just as you would absenteeism. It disrupts the work environment and should be handled as such.
Scenario: Your Gossip is Sharing Information With Others.
1. Invite them into a private area for a chat.
2. Let them know you are aware of something they have shared (do not divulge your source if at all possible as it will only generate conflict). Explain what it is you heard, and allow them to respond.
3. Thank them for being honest with you. If they deny saying anything ask your question a couple of different ways. If they continue to deny it skip to the final step in this process.
4. Ask lots of questions (see above for examples)
5. Caution them that things aren't always what they seem and educate them on the damaging effects of gossip.
6. If necessary, ensure them you will handle the situation but you will not be reporting back to them unless it has to do with them personally. Tell them you expect them to keep what they know private as you seek more information.
7. Explain that in the future you would like them to come to you with this information and not generate gossip within the department. Explain that gossip will destroy a team and you need their help and making sure that doesn't happen.
8. Explain that gossiping is a performance issue as it disrupts the work environment and will be handled as such.
On a more positive note, the "Gossip" can be a great resource for you when implementing change. Think about it, you have someone on your team that likes to talk . . . .make sure they are armed with the information you want others to have. They can be your greatest resource if you know how to utilize them. This post is getting way too long so I'll cover than topic in a future post.
What are your thoughts regarding the impact of the Gossip? What success have you had in dealing with this person? I want to hear your thoughts!
Mari
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