Whether it’s inappropriate language, untimely conversation or inadequate staff, bad workplace
behaviour is something that can affect even the most regulated work environments. In fact, studies show that the majority of work discrepancies come from those acting in a way that is unreflective of the ethos that a company is trying to portray. For managers this can be a serious problem – once you have employed a member of staff to work in your company they are at once your responsibility and by disobeying house rules they are going against both the standards of the company and your designations as manager.
So, what are bad behaviours? And should these be classified from personality traits that can be integrated to fit working standards?
Where certain people may rub those up the wrong way, codes of conduct at work are generally put in place for everyone to follow. And as a manager, it is often your role to enforce these and ensure that each member of staff knows the consequences for not following them. Although these may seem like common sense, every work environment is different. And while some actions may be acceptable in one company, those that are larger or have stringently enforced policies may not react well to a more casual attitude towards unprofessional behaviours.
The first instinct to tackling bad behaviours is to always to establish what the rules are and enforce these as readily as you can. By keeping these clear from the beginning and making sure that longer serving employees are following these as well as newer ones, the rules should be followed as a given – as opposed to a ‘maybe’. A good tip would be to put displays up reminding employees what is acceptable and what isn’t. Make sure these are pointed out (by all members of staff) each time a red flag is raised (not just for the benefit of the colleague, but for the team overall).
A further way of tackling bad behaviours can even be to have frequent meetings, outlining exactly what bad behaviour is and why it is not acceptable. As stated above, “common sense” bad behaviours may not often follow everyone’s view of what constitutes as disruptive. In fact, these may even be viewed in light of personality differences. Culture may also have a huge effect on behaviour, and even a person’s previous role and what was acceptable there. With monthly meetings set in place, this gives colleagues the opportunity to raise their own views on behaviours and to establish where lines should be drawn.
Remember – opinions are often not facts and everyone should be given a chance to explain their reasons for behaving the way they do. If these behaviours do not fit in with the company’s ideals then one-to-one meetings are a good way to get to the root of the problem, rather than face discrimination for judging on face value.
With these steps put into practice tackling bad behaviour shouldn’t have to be an issue that can’t be dealt with simply and effectively. With practicality and consideration put into effect let’s make bad working behaviours a thing of the past.
Article written by Lauren Benali and graphics by Issy Howell and Luke Mou
