It is not difficult to see bad employee behavior. However, the challenging part is motivating them to change. Change comes about in different ways. You cannot leave a vacuum by telling the employee something is wrong. Hard as it may seem, some employees will not know what it is they should be doing instead, resulting in confusion and no improvement. More importantly, have a conversation with the employee and point out what is not appropriate or not positive. On the heels of the discussion, identify what is positive behavior and what is appropriate for the employee.
Explain Behavior
Employee behavior is what the employee does, not an attitude the employee has or a feeling he has. The behavior change you expect the employee to have must make sense to him. It has to have a value to it. One way to put value on it is to attach a measurement to the behavior. There may be some employees who need to have evaluations weekly to achieve the replacement of a negative behavior with a positive one. Once you point out a change the employee needs to make, it is just as important to applaud the positive behavior immediately and repeatedly.
Recognize Improvement in Behavior
It may be across the board, from CEO to managers to supervisors and elsewhere, how difficult it is to give a compliment. The old adage is still true, “Practice makes perfect.” Make it a point to be visible around your employees and recognize creativity and an effort to look out for the good of the company. You will start to notice employee behavior will change from negative to positive just by your comments of appreciation and praise of the good behavior. This takes effort and consistency on your part. However, you will be pleased by the results you will see in your team.
Adopt Honesty
If your employees know you will be honest with them when there is an employee behavior that is detrimental to others in the department, the workplace will be more relaxed. Develop this level of honesty and forthrightness so the employees and management can move forward in cultivating a habit of positive behaviors. Anyone can have a bad day, including the managers and supervisors; however, the behavior can be positive a majority of the time.
