Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1308535
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION NOVEMBER 11, 2020 Page 10 Continued on page 12 Be careful not to insinuate that this is malicious, or even intentional, behavior. Your employee should feel that your intentions are positive. Ask for Input After you've said your piece, ask for your employee's perspective. You can say something like, "How do you think that safety meeting went? What were you trying to achieve in that moment? If you could redo it, what would you do differently?" The goal is to get your employee to think about his style and approach. The behavior could be "something that the person isn't aware of." These questions also "give [your employee] the time and space to think out loud" about his behavior and the root causes of it. People act like they do for all sorts of reasons. If you stay non-judgmental, open-minded, and curious about what's driving the behavior, you have a better chance of seeing it corrected. Constructively Stand Firm Despite your best efforts, your employee could react defensively. It's human to have that response. The chance it could happen is why you must not lose sight of the fact that you're trying to help this person succeed and thrive at work. Whatever you do, stay composed. Remember, emotions are catching, and if the other person gets riled up, you're more likely to get riled up, too. No matter what happens, don't fight fire with fire. Acknowledge your employee's point of view, while also ensuring your message comes across. And keep your feedback focused on behaviors, rather than something that could be seen as a personal attack. Good example: John, I understand you don't agree with my take on this. We don't have to agree. But going forward, make sure your fellow employees have a chance to finish speaking before you comment—or wait to be recognized by the leader of the meeting. We want to hear from you, but we want to hear from others too. Not-so-good example: John, you need to cool your jets. You're not the only person in the room. We were getting along without you before you got here, and all that's happening now is you're reminding us all that we could get along without you again! Problem Solve Together Wrap things up by planning to problem-solve together. If the issue is being "Mr. Know-It-All," ask your employee to brainstorm ideas with you rather than his peers. Talk about signals you might provide to the employee in meetings if his behavior is getting out of line. The point is to engage your challenging employee in the solution, rather than dictating what the solution must be. Employees usually have better buy-in and follow-through if they take ownership in the plan and outcome. In short, you're more likely to see a shift in behavior if the other person feels he's had an opportunity to direct the needed change. And that, after all, is the goal. Coaching Employees Who Irritate Others…continued from page 3