How to Manage High-Performing Employees with Bad Attitudes
One of the most difficult decisions managers can face is what to do with an employee who delivers results, but whose attitude is a disruptive influence on the team? Here is a situation as one Winning at Work newsletter subscriber explained:
“I have an employee who is an inside sales and customer support representative on our team. On the surface, you’d think she was the perfect employee.
She has never failed to exceed her targets by a wide margin. In fact, she’s the second most productive salesperson we have. She has the lowest rate of escalated complaints of anyone on the team. She’s never missed a day of work, and she always volunteers to fill in when someone misses a shift.
It’s a different story, however, when it comes to how she is with the people in the office. She badmouths me and her coworkers constantly. She fights with our support staff — no one wants to talk to her. When she comes into the room, you can feel the motivation draining out of everyone else. There’s no way I can justify letting her go, but if I don’t do something, people are going to start quitting…”
Attitude vs. performance is a tough call
It’s a tough call, and situations like this are a familiar challenge for many managers. High performers are typically driven to succeed — highly focused and motivated by achievement opportunities. They can be intensely goal-oriented, sometimes pushing aside anything (or anyone) they see as getting in the way. They often have little patience for what they perceive as mediocrity. Yet in performance-driven sales and service environments, these same traits are often what make them so valuable. The key for leaders is learning how to channel that energy in ways that elevate the entire team rather than isolate it.
Try to leverage the high-performer's edge
Although you may not always see this side of a high performer, these individuals typically love healthy competition. They genuinely don’t understand why everyone else isn’t like them, and when paired with another person who shares their drive, there’s a good chance their competitive spirit will push both to exceptional performance levels.
Two approaches to high-performers worth trying
Here are a couple of approaches worth trying:
1. Pair them up with another high-flying performer
As I mentioned earlier, being paired with someone they can respect and feed off of, good things can happen. When high-achievers have peers who match their pace, it often channels their competitiveness into collaboration and remarkable results.
2. Have a direct conversation
Let them know how impressed you are with their performance, and explain that their strong personality has a powerful impact on the team. Emphasize that they have the potential to be a tremendously positive influence, and that you’d appreciate their help in setting that tone — but that, right now, they may be having the opposite effect.
This direct conversation is also a good time to point out the damage her bad-mouthing is going to have on her career (Remember that these individuals are goal-driven, so present these as a challenge — chances are they’ll rise to it.)
If these approaches don’t work, you may need to consider performance coaching or other corrective action for the sake of the team. Before you do, though, take a step back and make sure the issue isn’t just others feeling intimidated by a colleague’s success. Sometimes the scrutiny belongs not on the high performer, but on how the team is responding to them.
