The best way to address a bad attitude is to not bring it onto your team in the first place.
A group of individuals does not always make a team. When hiring, attitude matters as much as aptitude. For example, Terrel Owens was an amazing football player. One of the most talented wide receivers ever to play the game. Many would say, however, his behavior often harmed his teams and they were better off without him. A player with incredible aptitude but a questionable attitude negatively impacted his teams, causing them to be less than they could have been.
Perhaps you have seen a team with a person whose individual talents were undeniable, but whose inability to collaborate led to underperformance or even failure. Leaders understand the team is more important than any individual. They seek to understand why someone may exhibit a poor attitude, to help when possible, and take action when not. For instance, bad attitudes stemming from disappointment and egotism are common.
Disappointment is clear. The person expected one thing to happen, something else happened, so he became disgruntled (at least for a time) and let everyone know it.
Egotism is more ambiguous, following the pattern teams saw with Terrel Owens. The belief that, “I’m the best. No one can keep up with me. I can do this better than anyone. I can’t be wrong.” I, I, I. Me, me, me. When people like this are not consistently at the center of attention and receiving accolades, it can impact the way they feel about themselves. Are they not as important as they believe they are? Are they not the expert they know they are? Are they not actually the drivers of the team’s success? Wouldn’t the team fail without them? These thoughts can dominate when something goes wrong for an egotist and their self-esteem is impacted. Self-doubt arises and becomes evident in a bad attitude.
Hiring a terrific blend of talent with varying levels of potential and demonstrated skills can be completely undone by a few hires with chronic bad attitudes. Scenario-based interview questions centered around disappointment and egotism can provide insight into a person’s attitude as these two feelings often cause a bad attitude. For example,
- Tell me about a time where you were deeply disappointed in a decision that didn’t go your way. What did you think about it? How did you react?
- Tell me about a time where you had a great idea but could not get others to understand it or go along with you to implement it. How did you share your frustration?
- Tell me about a time where you knew the answer to a problem but could not get people to adopt your approach for resolving it. How did you feel about it? How did you respond to it?
In addition to scenario-based questions, listen for the words “we” and “the team” to see if they are used in balance with the words “I” and “me.” People are usually on their best behavior during an interview and shape their answers to put themselves in the best light. Listening closely to the words used can provide insight you would not otherwise have, however, and potentially avoid a bad hire.
Everyone has bad days. Everyone exhibits a bad attitude now and again. It is the serial offender leaders need to address before they exhaust the team’s patience. Inaction can lead team members to believe the leader condones the behavior, which can cause it to spread, further impacting the team. The best way to address a bad attitude is to not bring it onto the team in the first place.
Managers are apt to hire the person who can “do the job the best,” the person who is “most qualified,” and will keep the work moving along. Often, that is the most experienced person, the one who has been doing the same type of work the longest. Leaders must look beyond experience alone and build their direct teams with those who demonstrate potential and an attitude that can propel the broader team forward.
Every time an open position is filled, your team re-forms and re-establishes norms and behaviors. Hiring talented individuals does not necessarily ensure a cohesive, talented team. Interview and hire for attitude as well as aptitude and you have a greater chance of creating the team capable of achieving your strategy.
Share your thoughts below.
As an interviewer, what questions do you ask to understand a candidate’s attitude?
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