Seven Questions to Ask a Person with a Bad Attitude
The following seven questions are designed not to change a person's attitude but rather ultimately give them the choice to improve their attitude. The biggest mistake we make as managers is trying to change a person's attitude when in fact we need to realize it's ultimately their choice. These are coaching questions we actually teach in our attitude based coaching program and I hope they help you:
1. If your best friend were here right now and they had to honestly describe how you are acting what do you think they would honestly say and more importantly what you think they would honestly suggest you need to improve?
2. On a scale of 1 to 6 with six being an unbelievably positive attitude and one being a fairly negative attitude where would you rate yourself and why? After they respond ask the following question: What are you willing to do to move towards a six and what do you think we should do together to facilitate the start of that?
3. What do you think you need to do to successfully alter your attitude and what help would you need from me in doing so?
4. If you had to look back at a time where you exhibited a very positive and outgoing attitude what would be that actual time and how can we utilize that time to bring that person back to the present?
5. Hypothetically, if I had to tell you you needed to become more positive in the workplace how would you respond to that and more importantly what do you think you need to do to facilitate that?
6. What will you do to mentally prepare yourself to possess a positive workplace attitude as you drive into work starting tomorrow morning?
7. What are two specific things you could do to engage with your co-workers that represents a positive attitude and builds a more cohesive team?
These certainly are not the only questions you could ask. What I'm trying to do is hopefully show you some new question formats as they relate to coaching and more specifically coaching to a negative attitude - I sincerely hope they have helped?
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Licensed Insurance Producer
8 年As a side note, I believe it would be beneficial as leaders to read "Emotional Intelligence 2.0" by Travis Bradbury & Jean Greaves.
Licensed Insurance Producer
8 年You have all raised some valid points; however, there are some key points that need to be addressed. Often times, a job for many is a means to an end. Regardless of the reason, anyone can choose to have a positive in the midst of a job they don't particularly care for. I feel if the employer expresses a genuine concern in the welfare of their employees, and consistently shows that concern through positive encouragement, positive affirmation, and positive interaction, the employee's attitude adjustment will be a natural progression. If the employee does not like the job, and their supervisor is difficult to boot, it is unlikely that their attitude will change. I have held some positions that I did not particularly care for, but because of the awesome people I worked for and with, I enjoyed going to work. It begins with the employer. The rest will fall in place.
Territory Manager at Parker Hannifin Filtration Group Engine Mobile Aftermarket Division
8 年Don't mistake passion to succeed and a deteriorating attidiude as a negative. The individual needs to look in the mirror. As with in as the Managment team should. The individual didn't have this negativity when they were hired? Or did they? Proper coaching with correct leadership skills will always prevail.
Founder of Hunting Living Supply Company | Operations Pro | Logistics & E-Commerce Leader | Driving Revenue Growth through Operational Excellence & Customer Satisfaction | Potter ??
8 年In my experience, most bad attitudes are not hired but slowly develop within an organization as a result something leadership is missing. So ask yourself, what can I do to improve the work environment or truly understand why an employee's attitude is less than desirable? Foster a culture that supports open communication and be prepared to accept criticism. Accept and encourage employees to critic processes and practices. With that said, if you hired a bad Apple, get rid of them quickly! :)