The employee with a chip on his shoulder harms the entire company
Every once in a while you come across a person who has an entitlement attitude. They feel that they are smitten with an unusual ability that far surpasses the rest of God’s creatures and that the people they are forced to deal with are just servant mothers who should tend to them. If this sounds familiar to you, you are not alone.
I visited a new client this week and he was used to dealing with our president so talking to me seemed to be lower than low. He cut me off in the conversation several times and he would tell me that he was making assumptions that were not correct. He was condescending and arrogant and I was left wondering how his attitude wasn’t going to earn me any bonus points!
My tactic was to slow down and listen to their opinions with as much intensity and understanding as I could muster. But even before that, I apologized for telling him that some of the information I needed to gather from him was administrative in nature and anyone could give it to me. That’s when the hairs on the back of his neck must have stood up because he came up to me and said, “And you think I’m an administrative person?” I quickly apologized and said, “No, of course not! I’m just saying that some of the information I need is not complicated and anyone can give it to me.” It was that statement that he judged me on in the future, and from that point on, he was incredibly difficult to deal with as a person. He obviously viewed life from a place where he felt judged, so he treated me like I was judging him. He wasn’t, he was simply asking her for help.
Each of us has had momentary encounters with other human beings who just aren’t that great. We have all been in a place where we are not in the best situation and our attitude is not the best. Maybe we didn’t drink our Noni juice or Stress B Gone juice that morning, and we’re not the “happiest and luckiest” person at all times of the day. Or maybe we’re just stressed out and too busy to stop and be nice to everyone we meet. Unfortunately, when we have about 3-10 seconds to make a first impression and the impression is not good, then we have to make up for it by spending about 2 ½ positive hours to win that person back.
This individual who spoke to me is a client. That means he deserves my respect and courtesy. But that does NOT mean that he can run over me and hit me on the ground. I gave him the first round and he was kind and promised to give him a wonderful service. But at this point, I see what kind of “stellar” human being he is and he’s not that pretty. He’s the guy who can’t just do a job, regardless of what his title is. He is caught up in his own impression of himself that he is too important to pitch in and help where help is needed. This kind of attitude is detrimental to his company. He is likely to lose a good provider because of his condescending attitude and certainly because of any advantages he might have had from having a great relationship. It is also unlikely that he will receive price discounts, if any, or that he will receive upgrades that we could offer to our valued customers.
People with concerns should know that people are watching how you treat your suppliers. People watch how you treat people who provide services and whether or not you treat others with respect. People watch you at work and can tell if you’re a hard worker or just getting by on as little money as possible. If you’re lazy, talk too much on the phone, spend too much time on the Internet or in emails, or if you don’t step in when work needs to be done, you’re not going to get much respect, and you’re not going to be well-liked by your co-workers. work even though they act like your friends. Trust me, they are talking behind your back and plotting your demise. You will also lose business, which translates to money, which can translate to freedom. And hopefully, you’ll lose your job and continue to do so until you wake up and learn what makes a good employee.
I want our company to be known for its incredible service. I want to have a product that is second to none and I want our customers to be raving fans. It takes a lot of work, long hours, and some personal sacrifice, but I’m excited to be part of a team that cares enough to make our company great. One day I will have enough clients who want to work with us that I won’t HAVE to accept everyone who comes. And that’s when I’ll be able to tell those customers who don’t fit our profile that they’d be better served by someone else.
Until that day, I will suck it up, be nice, and focus on the many clients I have who are lovely and respectful and get me out of bed in the morning. Those people are great and they make my job fun.
And in the meantime, to all of you “Mr. and Mrs. Chips on your Shoulder”…get off your high horse, cultivate a good attitude, and work hard. You are in the path of many productive and excellent people who want to do a good job and serve the company. You are a liability to your employer and to many people around you.
You can make changes by deciding to work hard when no one is looking. You can decide to make each day count and you can decide that you want to serve others to improve their lives. You can decide to think of others instead of just yourself, and you can decide to sacrifice your bad attitude for the benefit of the company as a whole. If you do this, you will quickly become a valued member of the team and we will welcome you back with open arms.
Please, Mr. Chip, you can make the changes. Decide right now that you are making a change. Every day will be better and better until you realize that you have changed. And that’s when he has become a valued member of his company, his industry, and our world.
