http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2009/11/04/11409-midweek-look-at-the-independent-business-blogs.aspx

Wally Bock

I’d also suggest that dealing with these issues is not the sort of thing that management should do without some training. It’s easy to make things worse.

You raise a good point. But please don’t misunderstand; people should never be fired without significant efforts at avoiding that final solution. That includes chances to redeem themselves, exploring why they not meeting your expectations, and a heart-to-heart conversation that touches on those sensitive “other things” that could be impacting their work life.

Thank you for the great article. I’m currently reading Yes! Attitude and becoming increasingly aware of the power of a positive attitude. I agree that your best employees help infect your workplace with the positive and your negative the opposite. I’ve had to deal with negative employees in the past and it was eye-opening to see the slow, dimming effect they had on the team.

Best,
Laura Brandenburg
http://www.bridging-the-gap.com

@Jim & @Steven: I draw a big distinction between attitude and being realistic. My goal is not to acquire a team of yes-men (which is fatal to any leader) but to develop a team of realists that can choose a positive manner in which to deal with that realism.

I do believe it is possible to accurately assess and deal with bad situations with a positive and supportive attitude. I expect my people to take me aside and give me forthright advice whenever I need it, and they can do this with a positive attitude.

I once worked with a guy who was so universally depressing that the running joke was that if you gave him a million dollars, he’d complain that it was in small bills. There are people who will find the cloud for every silver lining, and there are those who, like the old joke says, know that “there must be a pony in here somewhere!”

I want people who can deal with bad news in a good way, who can tell the truth without wallowing in bad news, and who do not fear difficult times. Good attitudes make good times better and bad times tolerable. Bad attitudes just make everything worse.

People are different. Some are perceived to always have a positive attitude; some are perceived to have an attitude that varies between positive and negative; and some are perceived to be always negative.

I can see why a manager likes an employee who always have a positive attitude. They never hesitate to jump on the manager’s bandwagon and say “can do.”

I can see why a manager dislikes employees who are always negative. They never jump on the manager’s bandwagon. They believe nothing can be done to improve the situation.

I can see why a manager may have concerns about employees whose attitude varies. They can’t be counted on to automatically jump on the manager’s bandwagon. The see themselves as realists. They want to apply their energy to a project that will be successful rather than to project that will be a deathmarch.

I’ve had the privilege of being a member of several high performing teams. I cannot recall any non-management members of those teams who would jump on a manager’s bandwagon nor any member who was always negative. The members were realistic. Success wasn’t guaranteed by a positive attitude. Success was made possible by creating an environment that empowered the team to solve problems. This creation could only be accomplished through a collaboration between the team and management.

I agree that employees who are always negative are a plague and need to go. But please don’t confuse realism with negativity. Otherwise, in my experience, the manager will end up with a bandwagon full of positive people going nowhere.