SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 150,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each Tuesday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: Whom would you rather lead as a member of your team?
- High performer with an attitude problem: 44%
- Low performer with a great attitude: 33%
- Mediocre performer with an average attitude: 23%
It seems many of you are satisfied to deal with attitude problems as long as the work gets done. It’s easy to rationalize, “He has a bad attitude, but he does such great work that I can’t do without him.” I encourage you to think more broadly of the impact a bad attitude has on your team. Your team members who might not be high performers see the high performers get away with having an attitude problem. It damages morale, and that attitude might even rub off on average or low performers. Address the attitude issue head-on. Explain to high performers that their attitude is hurting the team and its performance. If they’re true high performers, they’ll want to achieve in all areas, including having a positive attitude.
Mike Figliuolo is managing director of ThoughtLeaders and author of “One Piece of Paper.”
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I agree with Mike. While it's "easier" to rationalize putting up with the attitude because of performance, it's actually making us look worse as managers. I've had some drama kings/queens and negative whiners — who were very productive — leave, and I'm still finding out the depth of resentment and lack of trust in management that let these divas (men included) get away with their poor attitudes. Take it from the voice of experience (and obviously I didn't learn this lesson the first time around!), it ain't worth it!
Two weeks ago I was asked to supervise one of our units while the person in charge was out of town. I was warned that a particular staff member was 'negative', but not to let her get me down. I found out that negative was not the word – she was lying to other staff and to contractors about situations, and was actively attempting to prevent the launch of a new service. She fortunately quit last week, but we still have a lot of rubble to sweep up in her wake.
She was sold to us as a star performer. She was poisonous. Three weeks ago, I would have voted with the majority. Now, I know better.
I agree with Mike. The worst decision I ever made was to keep a person with an attitude problem because they were productive. With 20-20 hind sight I realize that keeping them negatively impacted the rest of the team and it made me look weak as a leader because it appeared that I was either ignorant of their attitude or unable/unwilling to address it. Allowing that attitude to exist made others think it was normal and acceptable. We wasted a lot of unproductive time talking about it or finding ways to work around them and limited the chance to grow someone else into their role.
Agreed. A high performer with a bad attitude may actually skew higher because his/her attitude has demoralized other team members to the point of producing less. A wise manager focuses on the vast middle tier of employees. It's these employees – and their consistent productivity and performance – that make it possible for stars to shine.
[...] Case in point - a recent poll in SmartBrief on Leadership: [...]
[...] Case in point - a recent poll in SmartBrief on Leadership: [...]
[...] in point – a recent poll in SmartBrief on Leadership: Whom would you rather lead as a member of your [...]