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94 August 2014 | beautystorebusiness.com an employee development consultant in metropolitan St. Louis. "You want to find out what it is—and nip it in the bud." Let's take our second scenario from this article's opening. Why did Margaret tell a customer "Management really stinks here"? During your data-gathering dis- cussion described earlier, Margaret may tell you that "We used to have flextime and it was taken away last month." Your response should acknowledge both the issue and your desire to meet the employee's needs. You might respond with "I kind of feel the same; I wish that had not gone away. But let's talk about how your needs can be met." While your workplace might not be able to offer flextime, it might be able to offer individuals a little more leeway in adjusting schedules to meet family needs. Changes that arise from coach- ing sessions can modify the workplace in ways that benefit all employees and result in great customer satisfaction. TOUGHER ACTION Of course, this article has been talking about the occasional negative actions of good employees. Persistent negative behavior requires tougher action. "If the behavior is persistent, then there must be accountability," says Avdoian. Consider the third entry in this article's opening scenarios. Kendall, who said that a requested service was "not my job," needs to be reminded that "we're all in this together" and that every employee has to be ready to pitch in with duties that may well be outside of the param- eters outlined in a job description. The coaching procedure outlined in this arti- cle should help Kendall come around to a better attitude. If not, then the only remaining option is to refer to your organization's progressive disciplinary measures that lead to termination. Phillip M. Perry is a New York City- based freelance writer. Going Positive Smart supervisors work quickly to address negative employee behavior. Smarter ones create workplaces where negative behavior doesn't occur in the first place. "Most employees start the day with good intentions," says Richard Avdoian (richardavdoian.com), an employee development consultant in metropolitan St. Louis. "They don't get out of bed wondering how they can be abusive to customers." Too often something happens to change that: Your job is to find out what it is, then take steps to resolve the issue so employees become effective agents. If you take time to communicate with them, your best employees will inform you about any workplace issue that is affecting performance. Sometimes it's a new policy. Other times it's inaction on a chronic problem; or maybe a miscommunication about an important topic. Supervisory sessions are critical. "Meet regularly with employees to touch base," says Avdoian. Ask questions such as these: "What is working in the workplace for you? What isn't? Are you struggling with anything? Do you need additional training? " These questions communicate that you are here to guide and mentor the employee—not just to discipline. "You can be a parent, mentor or just a wise person who can shed light on problems." Some supervisors resist such meetings because they think they take up too much time. Not so, says Avdoian. "The session can be as short as 15 minutes." Avdoian also suggests holding periodic 'best practices' meetings during which employees share with others what works and what doesn't in their daily interactions with customers. In all cases, value employees who speak up. "Courageous employees will express what is bothering them in an effort to make life better," says Ian Jacobsen (jacobsenconsulting.com), a management consultant based in Morgan Hill, California. "Others are afraid to say anything. They just stew and express their frustrations to anyone they don't consider a threat. So treasure those who express their concerns in a spirit of problem-solving." ■ H o w t o T u r n N e g a t i v e W o r k e r s i n t o P o s i t i v e P e r f o r m e r s . i n d d 9 4 How to Turn Negative Workers into Positive Performers.indd 94 6 / 2 6 / 1 4 4 : 5 1 P M 6/26/14 4:51 PM