Check Bad Attitudes Before They Damage Your Organization

04 Sep Check Bad Attitudes Before They Damage Your Organization

From team colleagues to leadership, workplace attitudes influence every person in the organization. Attitudes impact morale, productivity and team effectiveness. Thus, understanding and recognizing the behaviors that are at the root of poor attitudes is essential to the success and security of the business.

It only takes one person with an unchecked bad attitude to bring down an organization. The power of such an individual to cause destruction will stem from a variety of places: fear, anger, dissatisfaction, jealousy or bad attitude. Left unchecked, this behavior can become a weapon of mass destruction to the business.

Early warnings or early detection?

What part do you play in ensuring inappropriate behavior is challenged? If you hear or are part of an exchange that begins with “just between us,” or “I know you won’t tell anyone…,” it’s clear a confidence is about to be broken. So, what is your reaction?

Low-level gossipy stuff is every bit as important to identify and stamp out as is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That team member who presents as committed, loyal and trustworthy, but who – under pressure – relies on learned behaviors they may not even know they have that can turn lethal.

For example, a person who intentionally sets about leaking classified information – not always for monetary gain – is the kind of person CEOs are crying out to identify to limit the damage or, better still, identify before they can do harm.

Monitoring employees through the collection of Big Data can provide insights into social networking, relationships and even reveal normal behavior turning malevolent. But that’s not enough. Readily available psychometric assessment tools bridge the gap.

Add Little Data to Big Data

A validated, scalable behavioral insights tool identifies, who, when placed under pressure, is most likely to cause disruption to the business. Further, they reveal the environmental catalysts that provoke such behavior. In this way, Little Data is providing a deeper look at each player in your organization.

The threat within can be a team member who cannot cope with pressure or who is dissatisfied with the environment or was passed over for a promotion. It’s that simple. So why not invest in a tool that will take each team member 10-12 minutes to complete and can reveal and help manage these behaviors?

What you are revealing: Hidden, hard-wired traits and a reliable prediction of where security or compliance risks exist. Based on external research, employees with the following measurable behavioral traits are more likely to engage in rogue behavior when emotionally triggered:

1. Innovative – bright mind, which turns into curious and devious thinking;
2. Ambitious – desire for success, leading to cutting corners; and
3. Secretive – working under cover and not revealing key information.

Since the information is one assessment tool away – why not take the step to arm yourself with insights and head off issues?

Implementation and big payoffs

When every member of a team knows, understands and is comfortable with each other’s behavior, it not only builds trust, but such effective teams give companies a significant competitive advantage. High-functioning teams by their very nature identify and weed out malevolent behavior instantly. They are alert to any sign of inappropriate behavior and challenge it.

Becoming a behaviorally smart organization is as simple as deploying a validated behavioral discovery process. Armed with the depth of insight such a discovery provides, management can dynamically match employees with specific environmental conditions to determine their potential response.

They can also discern the degree to which such responses could create damaging behavior and negative actions towards the business. Too, management can apply these insights toward talent re-allocation, employee evaluation, team development and improved hiring processes.

Consider it not just preventive medicine for your business, but also an opportunity to best leverage the strengths of every employee while also accounting for their challenges.

Hugh Massie, Behavioral Strategist

CEO & Founder, DNA Behavior International

Hugh Massie is a global pioneer in the practical application of behavioral insights. A “reformed CPA” and serial entrepreneur, Hugh has since 2001 focused his efforts on his role as CEO and Founder of Atlanta-based DNA Behavior International. The company and its network, online and off, is a behavioral data and technology solutions business that helps individuals and organizations discover and leverage strengths. Hugh and his team make their validated, proprietary “behaviorally smart” technology available to clients via the internet; some clients incorporate the applications into their other systems. Hugh’s solutions have impacted more than 1.5 million people/year in 125 countries and 11 languages, including leaders 2,500+ businesses and 20,000 financial advisors who are now behaviorally smarter. “Understanding and leveraging behavioral insights can powerfully disrupt the work of individuals, teams, leaders and organizations in positive ways, including affecting the bottom line,” Hugh says.