You can see that at this stage, no matter how new to management you are, you will have to tackle an uncomfortable conversation at some point when your team members do something that is morally or technically wrong, against company policy, or potentially dangerous to themselves or others, and therefore needs correcting. Depending on your personality and the behaviors of the person in question, this may cause some reluctance on your part to address it outright. The thing to understand is that the majority of people in the workplace don't enjoy difficult conversations either! So, you don't have to rejoice in it, but you do have to do it as a manager.
If any of this starts to ring true, keep the following principles in mind:
- Because a large portion of behavior is unconscious, sometimes people are genuinely unaware of their behaviors
- They can be even less aware of the result of their behaviors!
- You have a duty and a responsibility as a manager to direct, develop, and give feedback to your staff
- It's only by highlighting behaviors that need correcting that you can expect them to change
- A rotten tooth never gets better by itself, so only brush the teeth you want to keep…
The last point is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, however it represents a truism in the workplace; people will rarely correct their own behaviors unless it's pointed out, and if you leave situations unaddressed, they will deteriorate to the point of destruction. In my time, I've had to tackle people who constantly whinge about pay, conditions, department structure, the competence of the management, and so on. This generally has a negative impact on those around the whiner. I've also had to address people who regularly underperform and let their team members down, and even people who refuse to shower and wear deodorant! And you thought becoming a manager was all about your own office, car, private healthcare, and personalized stapler!