Page 85 - Becoming a Successful Manager

76 ESTABLISHING A SOLID DEPARTMENTAL FOUNDATION

Situation: You have a staff member who is constantly
complaining. For her, the glass is almost always half
empty.
Problem statement: You need her to adopt a positive
attitude or offer productive solutions and she is not.
Resolution questions: What are the reasons for this
negativity? Are there ways of getting this employee to
view things differently?
Situation: A high-performing employee who was highly
motivated had a recent deterioration in his demeanor
and a decline in his performance.
Problem statement: You need him to be a high performer
again; you expect him to deliver; you want to understand
what happened and you cannot.
Resolution questions: Why the sudden change?
What can you do to help him resolve his
concerns?

What do all the resolution questions have in common? They
all refl ect a desire to understand the situation in order to move
toward solutions. By adopting attitudes that produce a positive
working environment you will set an example and set the stage
for developing mutually rewarding relationships between you and
your employees and thus build a problem-solving culture.
Although we want to strive for a problem-solving culture, we
realize managers are often faced with people and behaviors that

are reflective of a toxic culture. However, now that you are armed
with the knowledge of how powerful a problem-solving culture
can be, we will present the stark contrast with a toxic culture. As
you read through the next section, feel the difference. We will
compare them at the end.