Rotten egg or faulty fridge?

It's been quoted that bad apples ruin attitudes. I agree with that, but I would also bring into question the environment first and foremost. We all know them, that guy, the employee who never seems to be having a good day, the obnoxious never relenting negative Nancy who no matter the job always finds something to complain about. Their performance may be otherwise perfectly fine-no disciplinary action, no no call no shows, not ever tardy. Still- they just seem to rub everyone else on the team the wrong way, always looking for an excuse, slow and arduous, tedious. You can't quite pin point it but there is something just not up to par. You find other employees sigh and groan when then see they are scheduled with this person. You find yourself cringing if they have customer interactions; they aren't awful, just not great, just not joyful. Their job is a chore and everyone knows it. They are just watching the clock-anxious for their shift to end. This is easily perceived not only by their co workers but also by customers. So what is the real impact of this bad attitude? If you think there isn't one I challenge you to reconsider. Most markets are over-saturated and competitive. The pet services market is no different. One or two bad or even just so-so interactions can send a client looking for the same service with a different moniker. Most people will even pay slightly more for good service that is consistently excellent. Your bad apple is likely a threat to your brand, to your culture. So what can you do about it? The first step is to see if intervention is possible. Gather the person and someone else you trust who understands the gravity of the situation. Sit down together. Have specific instances available for reference. Dates, times, names, all should be presented. You want to work with facts. Open the conversation with honesty, start by stating you wanted to talk because you are concerned. At this point you will more than likely see the person's body language shift and become closed. Don't worry, keep talking. Start with the basics, observable facts, nothing more nothing less. Tell the person how they are being perceived, by you, and by others. Wait. More than likely at this point they will be offering some kind of rebuttal. Hear them out, it's important you get their side of it. Listen for cues, stress signals, outside factors. Empathize with them, let them know you are in their corner and you want nothing more than their success. Tell them you brought them in because you are ready to own that maybe you haven't given them what they need to be successful but you are ready to rectify that here and now. It is easy to blame the employee- what is not so easy is to take accountability for the environment and see if it in fact needs to be changed.

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