Is the persons behavior like this prior to working with you or did the behaviors change as a result of working? If you begin to see a pattern of behaviors that are not acceptable to complete the work and negatively impact others, so they can’t complete their work…the role of Management is to fix this. But how? Contact Mike to learn how and fix this before it gets out of control.

In an earlier article and video “Why can’t we all just get along; Interpersonal relationships on teams.” I received some great questions and feedback from my friend Chris Reich and some other people in my FaceBook page in response to the line;

People are NOT psychologically damaged, either is your manager or you. The behaviors you are seeing come from a seriously flawed Organizational & Management System. Determine how your team and/or you can improve what you can and make the system function. OR maybe they are really f-ed up in the head!?

This has got me thinking and I hope you can share some of your insight on this.

Can you OR should you try to change an asshole employees behavior?

Some clarification may be needed from my perspective.

I understand some people are just bad apples, BUT in work I often wonder is the person behaving this way because their Manager is incompetent? The environment they are working in encourages this behavior? What they need to complete great work has been given and taken away from them?

I know that my behaviors towards work and Managers has fallen into the asshole spectrum from self-directed to other-directed. Due to the environment and relationship with my manager (who was not right for the job and the relationship he had with his boss was negative and combative).