How to Detect Employees with Attitude Problems

One of the most difficult challenges confronting a manager relates to dealing with subordinates who have attitude problems. Employees with attitude problems are contagious and tend to lower the morale of other employees. Lowered morale among employees can lead to job failure and overall decline in work productivity. Spotting employees with attitude problems early can help the manager undertake necessary steps in order to neutralize the damaging effects these employees can do to the organization as a whole.

How can managers detect employees with attitude problems? Here are some of the indicators that managers must look out for.

1. Policy-wise.They read the policies of the company meticulously and use this to their advantage whenever given the opportunity to do so. They like to interpret these policies their own way.

2. Harbinger of problems. Employees with attitude problems always bring personal problems with them. Employees with attitude problems could not live in harmony with their families and even their neighbors. They are quarrelsome.

3. Fault finders. They tend to blame others for not being able to do their job. But this does not mean they can do the job well themselves.

4. Never learns.They tend to repeat their mistakes over and over again. This indicates that they do not listen to the instructions given them.

5. Always late. They are always late and are eager to go home. These people like to glance at the clock 30 minutes before five o’clock.

6. A swagger. They look too serious and are difficult to approach. Employees with attitude problems are aloof, and act as if they are very important persons that need to be cared for.

7. Excessively self-assured. They do things their own way even with directions from the boss. They think they know better the job given them despite specific instructions given them.

8. Isolationists. They like to be alone. Employees with attitude problems isolate themselves from the group.

9. Uncaring. They enjoy other people’s suffering instead of offering their help to alleviate their difficulty. They tend to ignore other people’s problems and would walk away from responsibility.

10. Privilege squanderer. They want special privileges. Employees with attitude problems like special vacations, increased salaries despite poor accomplishments, less work hours, among others.

Spotting these indicators consistently displayed among employees raise the red flag. Immediate action, if feasible, must be done at the earliest possible time. One of the ways to prevent attitude problems among employees is to seek the help of a qualified professional. This requires the cooperation of the person with attitude problem which would pose a real challenge to the manager.

To prevent future problems like this, new employees must be thoroughly scrutinized before hiring. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Reference:

Delaney, W. A., 1982. The 30 Most Common Problems in Management and How to Solve Them. New York: AMACOM. 182 pp.