Hi All, I would be interested in hearing your experience on how to deal with employees that do not cooperate well, or disturbs the harmony in an otherwise good company culture. Team members like this could become a huge liability for a firm, especially if they have bad work morale, and if this influences other employees.
I use the " Poacher turned gamekeeper" approach and give then a challenge that requires them to take responsibility for identifying problems and potential solutions with costs, resources, materials and a plan to deliver. Once agreed, they then have to sell the idea to the decision makers and if approved deliver the solution. This tends to focus their efforts on something beneficial to the operation and as they have championed it, they want to deliver it rather than lose face. They own the project and at the end of it usually understand that vociferous negativity doesn't help. You very subtly address their behaviour by giving them the opportunity to show what they can do. At the end of it, they will have changed for the better or remain intransigent making them targets for disciplinary action and dismissal on the grounds of poor performance. Obviously the latter must be managed ethically and in a legally compliant manner and the challenge given to them must include appropriate training and support.