Posted by Jamie Resker on Thu, Aug 20, 2009 @ 07:56 AM
We all know who the offenders in our organizations are. They are the employees and managers who make it difficult for others to get their job done. It is easy to identify the bad actors in our organizations who exhibit bad behaviors, but most people who could intervene fail to do so because they are uncertain about how to deal with the problem. That's because most leaders charged with addressing behavior-based issues have little or no experience or training in dealing with this challenge. Consequently, we often see patterns of disruptive behavior emerge when they could have been prevented through the right kind of early intervention.
Bite Me
We recently had a conversation with a nurse and asked her to share a story of unprofessional behavior she observed. Her story: "We had this guy who was promoted to clinical coordinator for the surgical facility; a job that oversees the scheduling of patients and staff for patient surgery. As nurses we knew which anesthesiologists, physicians and nurse teams worked best together and we would request changes to the schedule to insure a high quality patient care experience. The clinical coordinator would respond with, "Bite me". He was a complete jerk and to add insult to injury his behavior was well known but it took two long years before he was demoted from the position and replaced by someone who was both competent and professional".
Technically Competent but Sucking the Life Out of Everyone Else
It can be a challenge when our most technically competent employees (even those of senior rank) exhibit behaviors that are disruptive. These are the employees who have all of the skills and talent you want, but whose attitudes and issues drain your energy, contribute to creating a toxic environment and suck the life out of your high and mid-level performers. Our work days are filled with enough stress, uncertainty and tension. Make the work environment as collaborative, supportive, collegial and pleasant as possible by addressing and stopping bad behavior in its tracks.