As business owners, it is our responsibility to deal with all kinds of employee behavior issues. But can you really change an employee’s behavior? The following article about employee behavior issues was written by Tuck Aikin, a former SCORE colleague of mine. Although the piece was written some time ago, the facts of the matter are just as true today as they were back then.
Recently I was talking with a business friend and asked him how his new department manager was working out. “Just great,” he said. “John has really taken hold. He’s much better than his predecessor because he takes the initiative. He sees what needs to be done, devises a remedy, fills me in on the problem, and asks for my OK to implement his recommended solution. It won’t be long before he’s totally on his own. I just wish everyone who works for me was that way.”
Another manager I know has expressed his frustration with an employee who continuously whines about her pay which she perceives as too low regardless of the fact that her salary is well above the average for such work in Colorado Springs. Even when the manager increased this person’s salary several times, it never seems to be enough – eventually, the complaining starts again. No amount of accommodating or explaining works, the behavior just continues.
These typical managerial headaches bring up an interesting question – why doesn’t everyone who is in a position of responsibility take initiative? Or, for that matter, why is it that more often than not, an employee in a particular position will exhibit a behavior, such as excessive griping, or lack a characteristic, such as initiative, that would make their working lives so much easier and more productive, and your life as a manager much simpler?
No matter how many times you try to guide and educate them, they just don’t seem to “get it.” Their behavior might change briefly right after such a training session, but pretty soon, they revert to their old ways. Given enough time, these behaviors or characteristics will often outweigh the positives an employee brings to his or her work, and you are forced into a hard decision – do I keep the employee or find a replacement? What’s going on here? No matter how hard we try, we managers just can’t seem to find the magic explanation that will cause a permanent change in the employee.
The bad news is there probably is no magic explanation, no managerial miracle that will permanently reform such employees’ behavior. As it turns out, not only are we humans creatures of habit but we are also born into a particular personality profile that does not change materially throughout our lives.
Researchers have known this for some time. Probably the best-known and most thoroughly verified personality measuring instrument that demonstrates this issue is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). After having my MBTI profile measured as a student at UCCS a few years ago, I asked our professor if an individual’s MBTI profile changes over time, even a lifetime. “To some degree,” was her answer, “but it won’t be by much.” On reflection, I realize that I’m fundamentally the same kind of person I was as a child, even though my approach to life has changed significantly as I’ve matured. And it’s true, all of us can change to some degree, but the kind of change that occurs will always be within the borders of our unique natures. It is highly unlikely, for instance, for a reserved, thoughtful person to suddenly change into an outgoing charismatic exhibitionist, no matter how hard such a person might try.
And this brings us to the managerial issue of what to do when you have an employee that just can’t seem to adjust their “attitude” (a dangerous word) or behavior to fit the requirements of their job, in compliance with your imploring. Undoubtedly the first thing to do is to realize you aren’t going to change the individual’s behavior permanently with a miraculous bit of managerial explaining and persuading. The best you can hope for is a temporary improved performance or, at worst belligerent obedience. You’ll have to readdress the issue from time to time and learn to accept that it’s going to be your continuing job.
Over time if this tiring task becomes too much for you, then consider transferring the employee into work that more closely aligns their positive capabilities with the new job, a job that does not call for the specific skill or skills the individual demonstrates they lack.
Certainly, another option is to replace the employee, but that should be a last resort if the employee is a valuable contributor to your business and has a positive outlook. Employers who fire deficient employees as their sole remedy seriously underestimate the “brain drain” they incur in doing so, and their business’s productivity or service to customers will suffer accordingly for some time into the future.
Remaining employees too make a note of this managerial inclination and become mistrusting and reluctant to take initiative to embrace the mission and purpose of your organization. And just how far and fast do you think your business will go when that happens?
Handling these kinds of people issues – hand-holding, mothering, mentoring, inspiring, leading, consoling, befriending – are really the essence of what managing a business is all about. It’s pretty much like raising children into adulthood. You’ll be challenged in ways you never imagined, and if you do your job well, you’ll truly be worth your weight in gold.
Tuck Aikin was a former SCORE colleague of mine for many years until his retirement. Tuck is a prolific writer and wrote small business-themed articles for the Colorado Springs Gazette for many years. As a co-mentor, Tuck was my inspiration for me starting this blog. The preceding post is reproduced with permission from the author.
