Reality-​based Coaching Can Stop the BMW Syndrome in Your Workplace

Did you know that the average employee spends 2.5 hours a day engaged in workplace drama? That statistic comes from Cy Wakeman, President and CEO of Reality-​based Leadership. If you want your team to be more productive, show them how to cut the drama. Specifically, you’ll need them to stop their BMW — bitching, moaning and whining. A dose of reality-​based coaching can help.

Wakeman defines drama as “unproductive thought processes or disruptive behavior at work … including venting, judging, gossiping, scorekeeping, tattling, resisting change, and withholding buy-​in.” In her Manage Smarter podcast with us, Wakeman explained how to make productive changes.

Hiring the Right Team Members

Every person has unique needs in the workplace. They are motivated by different factors. And they will interact in different ways with their manager and with team members.

Some individuals tend to generate more workplace drama than others. One way to reduce the drama is to avoid hiring employees who create problems. Make the right decision when you’ve got a choice between a highly skilled dramatic candidate and a moderately skilled candidate who’s clearly not dramatic.

To understand exactly who is applying for an open position, require candidates to take a psychometric assessment. The TeamTrait platform flags whether an individual is likely to engage in toxic behavior in the workplace. Toxic behavior can range from gossiping to seeking excessive amounts of glory to actively trying to destroy a co-worker’s reputation.

Remember that you can always train the moderately skilled employee. Changing an employee’s high drama quotient can be a lot more difficult.

Reality-​Based Coaching

If you already have a high drama employee on your team, your first step is to admit you have a problem and take action. These employees can increase workplace dysfunction and kill productivity. If you don't address the issue, you risk losing good employees. Our research in the Voice of the Sales Rep survey shows that 80% of sales reps who have encountered toxic bosses or co-​workers leave the organization.

Use the psychometric assessment data you have on your difficult employee to determine the best way to communicate with them. And then develop your plan. Remember that reality-​based coaching requires interacting frequently and providing feedback they may not want to hear. 

Increase Self-​Awareness

You can start by helping your BMW employee become self-​aware. For example, they may come to you with a complaint about another department or another individual. Acknowledge their concern. Then, ask them to look at the situation from the other person’s perspective. Doing so helps them realize that not everyone sees the world the way they do.

Require Accountability

Over time, make it clear that you will not listen to long-​winded BMW tirades. As a manager, you’ve got more important things to do. Encourage your employee to come to you with a proposed solution or two to the problem they’ve identified.

For example, they may be whining that someone in another department is consistently late with a report or information they need in order to update their forecast. Your employee could develop a number of ways to encourage the other person provide the information on a timely basis.

Stay firm in your insistence that they present a solution for every complaint they have. Developing solutions means they’re becoming more accountable. They’ll start to see that they have some control over the situation that is bothering them.

Provide Rewards

Once they begin acting more accountable, reward them with tangible benefits. To make sure the good behavior continues, show the employee they’re on the right track by giving them something they want. Review their assessments to determine the best reward. They may be motivated by the opportunity to work on a high-​profile project, for example.

Summary

As your BMW employee become highly accountable and solutions-​oriented, they’re less interested in drama. Your team will work more productively. And you won't have to spend as much time on reality-​based coaching.

Image on Pexels by Liza Summer.