Disruptive behavior on job should not be tolerated

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Dear Joan:
I wanted to comment on a column you wrote recently about a regional director who was bright and competent but would have unchecked temper tantrums and screaming fits. There seems to be two mindsets concerning employees of this man's nature.

Mindset #1:
"Yes, he's a jerk, but he brings in over a million a year in revenue." We have this situation in the company I work for. Never mind that he is demanding, abusive, abrasive and in general, not a very nice guy to those who serve him so well. As long as he brings in the money, we'll just have to put up with him. Where is Jerry Maquire when you need him? Personally, I'd rather work with someone who treated his fellow employees with a bit of respect, but I'm sure the nether regions will freeze before that happens.

Mindset #2:
If we fire him/her, they might sue us. Even if there is no cause to sue, this lurks in the mind of every manager, human resource personnel and anyone else who might be responsible for hiring/firing. Even if the case is baseless, it could tie up the company for who knows how long.  Just the simple perception of a lawsuit is enough for managers to put up with employees like the one in your column.

So, what do we do? Nip it in the bud! The first time an employee has an outburst, tell him/her that that type of behavior WILL NOT be tolerated and that they will be shown the door if it continues. If people come to understand the rules a company lives by, and if the company enforces the rules, changes can happen. It is only when a company is lax and undemanding of its employees in the area of behavior that problems continue to manifest themselves. If Joe Blow would have been told this from the start, chances are that he either would have changed his ways or been let go.

Thanks for letting me spout off on a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I've seen plenty of it for 26 years in my industry.

Answer:
It's a lot like raising kids isn't it? If you don't set basic rules and expectations, you wind up with spoiled, demanding children. And if the expectations aren't enforced early and consistently, it's difficult to start when they're teenagers.

The time to call a halt to his disruptive, demeaning behavior was the day it started. Since it's twenty-five years too late, the company is faced with confronting it now or looking the other way and hoping he doesn't destroy too many other people. The question is one of integrity: "If some other employee treated the 'million dollar man' this way, would that be tolerated?" Probably not.

The leadership of this organization needs to consider its options. This man needs to be told that his performance will also be judged on how well he treats his internal customers. He needs to hear examples of his past behaviors that are unacceptable in the future. Perhaps his manager can work with him to channel his anger in more appropriate ways.

If he can't modify his behavior, he probably should be given outplacement assistance to help him find another job. Since he's hasn't been confronted in the past, the organization should take some of the responsibility for this problem. Outplacement is frequently used for situations such as this.

If nothing is done, everyone in the company will be painfully aware of the rules:

1.      Anything goes as long as the bottom line is good.

2.      If any employee doesn't like the abuse this guy dishes out, they can leave, because they aren't as important.

A human resources person worth his or her salt knows that people who deserve to be fired can be fired. And if the process is well managed, you can minimize the risk of lawsuits. Managers who throw up their hands and claim that they are powerless because of potential lawsuits should step aside and let someone with some skill and backbone show them how it's done.

Confronting poor performance, or difficult behaviors, is difficult.  Joan Lloyd’s How to Coach & Give Feedback learning system is a step-by-step approach to giving feedback to your employees, your coworkers, or even your boss.  Actually reduces defensiveness and encourages open communication.  Now available in CD!