Illnesses aren’t the only contagions that can spread through an office and impact the overall health of the organization. It’s bad behavior, too.
Toxic employee behavior can spread like a virus and infect even the most cautious individuals who take steps to ward it off.
Some common misbehavior — like aggressiveness, narcissism, dishonesty and passivity — can undermine relationships with leaders. But, more than anything, these attitudes and actions can impact how teams operate, relate to each other and get work accomplished.
So, how can leaders stop the spread of one individual’s behavior to other team members before it infects the entire organization?
There’s no one assessment that’s a cure-all, so that’s why a multiple assessment-based approach is best. In other words, measuring a toxic employee’s behavior (DISC) will only provide a snapshot into how they behave.
Instead, consider TTI’s TriMetrix® EQ assessment, which blends together three sciences to examine the behaviors individuals bring to the job, the driving factors that motivate them, and an understanding of how their emotional intelligence (EQ) impacts their core behavioral style.
Perhaps this employee’s misbehavior is influenced by stress, but management doesn’t know where it’s coming from and what support this individual needs to be successful.
Stress Quotient™ can determine what demands are contributing to this employee’s stress, whether they feel in control, and if any changes taking place within the organization are impacting their performance.
Some people may be savvy enough to conceal their toxic behavior during interviews and even while in the job for a period of time.
But gathering intelligence on employees through multiple sciences (behaviors, driving forces, EQ and even Stress Quotient) can help management better diagnose potential toxicity.
In turn, volatile behavior will be identified early on, preventing those who possess these traits from spreading them throughout the organization.
Sometimes setting clear workplace expectations during selection and onboarding isn’t enough. But realize these assessment-based strategies can provide the data to stop toxic behavior in its tracks.
Your organization’s morale and overall performance may very well depend on it.