Page 115 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

The High Price of Low Morale 95

to another department, or counseling with a professional.
Place the responsibility on the employee to make the
changes you’ve discussed. Continue to offer your support

and monitor performance progress just as you would for
any other performance improvement goal.

Manager’s Morale Challenge #5: Defensive Attitudes

Many of us get defensive from time to time. In fact, the
problem may be growing. (We’ve certainly seen an

increase in road rage, which shows how quickly some
people can react defensively—and take it to extremes.)
But sometimes being defensive is more than just a reac-
tion to a certain situation. If it’s an attitude that makes an

employee generally jumpy or bristly, it’s definitely going
to chip away at morale.

What’s a manager to do with an employee who’s got a
defensive attitude? There’s certainly nothing more pervasive
than the attitude of a person who spreads negativity or puts

down everyone and everything the team is trying to accom-
plish. This can be a manager’s greatest challenge—communi-
cating effectively with an employee who constantly reacts
defensively on the job.
Attitude is everything, so pay close attention to the tips in

your toolkit and some of the ways you may be able to better
handle defensive attitudes and protect morale.

Manager’s Toolkit

• Start by evaluating yourself. Is there any specific reason
why people might be misinterpreting or misreading you?
Ask yourself, “Is it what I’m saying or the way I’m saying it

that may be provoking this response from the people I
manage? Have I been sarcastic or unintentionally curt or
abrupt with people who need my help? Am I causing this
behavior or is it the person I need to be concerned about?”
• Make an effort to sharpen your own interpersonal skills.
Take a class or read some books on the subject. Sign up