Just like a player causing an uproar in the clubhouse, disgruntled employees all too often can ruin a company culture and their cynicism can spread like wildfire through the office.  A strong company culture is one of the largest success factors in a growing company.  Change is inevitable during growth and that strong culture helps your company navigate through the choppy waters. The key to handling cynical employees is to address the problem and take care of it immediately.  Your team will respect you more for doing so, and your company will be better off.   

 

Here are our 6 keys to handling cynical employees:

 

1.  Do not ignore the problem

The issue will not disappear until you take care of it.  It will only get worse the longer you put it off.

 

2.  Schedule the meeting

Address the problem head on so schedule a time to speak with the employee one-on-one.  The meeting should take place within a few hours of you scheduling it.  You do not want to give the employee time to plan or talk with other employees prior to the meeting.

 

3.  Prepare

Have your notes prepared so you make sure you touch on every issue you want to address.  Do not have the conversation in front of the team.  Tough conversations should always take place behind closed doors.

 

4.  Get to the point

Tough conversations are always easier when you get right to the point.  State your concerns with the employee’s actions.

 

5.  Uncover the key frustration

Ask questions.  Most times you will be able to discover the underlying problems that are causing the frustrations with the employee. This gives you the ability to not only fix the symptoms, but the cause.

 

6.  Take action

Depending on the severity of action and the outcome of the conversation, immediate action is required.  In most cases, if you are having this meeting with an employee you are at the point to part ways.  However, some coaching and counseling may remedy the situation.  Commit to an improvement and communication plan.