Ideas

"Dear Joan:

I was promoted to customer service manager of a small group that used to be my co-workers. One of them constantly sighs and moans and makes noises and comments under her breath. She had a bit of a giggling fit this afternoon after discovering a huge mistake another customer representative made. This was taken personally after that customer representative found out about the error she made.

Question:

"A longstanding employee continues to exhibit abrasive, irritating behavior in his dealings with other employees. While he is technically skilled, his interactions with his colleagues consist of one awkward encounter after another. Conflict is inevitable when he is part of the mix. We've moved to a performance appraisal format that is more behavior-based, so I've been able to talk about how he carries out his work in addition to what (tasks) he does. The first couple of conversations along these lines haven't gone well; the problem is everyone else, not him, at least from his perspective. He is quick to point out what everyone is doing wrong in a given situation and equally quick to exonerate himself. How do I get him to take ownership of his part in all of this unpleasantness?"