EQ at WORK: Rotten to the core: How workplace 'bad apples' spoil barrels of good employees | University of Washington News and Information

uwnews.org | Rotten to the core: How workplace 'bad apples' spoil barrels of good employees | University of Washington News and Information

According to the article, one apple can spoil the whole bunch. It really is amazing how much trouble one person can cause in an office (family, group, etc.)

What's especially bad is that I've found, from coaching people, that 'one bad apple' in terms of a workplace that's caustic thanks to one person (yes, it can happen), will spoil a person's attitude and conception of work in general. It's especially bad for "newbies" -- it you're just out of law school and land in a place like this, or have just changed career fields and your first taste of "marketing" is like this. Also, if you've just moved to a new town, you may generalize that that's what work is like in Dallas/New York City/Hope, Alabama.

This study reiterates how difficult it can be when the "bad apple" is established, has tenure or power, or (I would add) is related to the boss

ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE:

1. Negative people are those who don't do their fair share of the work, who are chronically unhappy and emotionally unstable, or who bully or attack others.
2. One "toxic" or negative team member can be the catalyst for a complete downward spiral in an organization.
3. Vast majority of people surveyed could identify at least one "bad apple" that had produced organizational dysfunction.
4. Teams with one member who is disagreeable or irresponsible are much more likely to have conflict, have poor communication within the team and to refuse to cooperate with one another. Consequently, they perform poorly.
5. One bad apple can ruin it, but one good person (or 2 or 3) can't turn it around.
Negative outweighs positive exponentially.

WHAT DO YOU DO? SCREEN FOR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

Say the authors: "Managers at companies, particularly those in which employees often work in teams, should take special care when hiring new employees," Felps said. "This would include checking references and administering personality tests so that those who are really low on agreeableness, emotional stability or conscientiousness are screened out."

Administering The EQ Map would be a good idea. Also train your managers, HR, hirers and interviewers with my EQ Certification Program so they will know what they're looking at.

If you're stuck working with or for a negative person, I recommend you take my Difficult People course to learn temporary coping strategies. EMAIL for course - on the Internet, $39.00

Only alternatives these authors give are (1) isolate the person and let him/her work alone, or (2) fire them.

Learn emotional intelligence yourself and avoid being one of these powerful negative catalysts. The more savvy managers become, and the tighter the job market, the more you will sabotage your own career. EQ just helps!