- By Dr. John C. Maxwell
His words are discouraging. His actions undermine people. His
presence impairs progress. "Critical Charlie" is as negative a
person as you have ever met. For him, the sunshine is too
bright, and the birds are singing too loudly. He is motivated by
anyone who will listen to his complaints and rants. There is a
little bit of truth to his words; you can't ignore him. Even if
he is achieving results, his constant critical attitude hinders
the overall effectiveness of your team. As the leader, you need
to confront Critical Charlie.
Listen...
Privately sit down and discuss Charlie's criticisms. Let him
know that his negative attitude is a problem. Give specific
examples of how his actions have hurt people and progress. Then,
ask him to explain what is prompting his negative attitude. Why
does he criticize instead of find solutions? Once you have
talked to Charlie, offer him a proper avenue for his critical
observations. If he is having a problem with an individual, he
should resolve it with that person. If he cannot, he should then
come to you for assistance. If Charlie is having a problem with
the company, he should come straight to you. Let Charlie know
that it is never appropriate to share his criticism with a third
party. Besides, it is more effective to deal directly with the
source.
...Then Lead
If Charlie agrees to the boundaries you outline and he follows
through on this agreement (based on his behavior), you won't need
to involve other people. However, if Charlie continues to
inappropriately criticize individuals and the company, stronger
action is required.
1. Ask the people affected by Charlie's criticism to meet with
you and him. The goal of this meeting is not to gang up on
Charlie, but to help him realize how his criticism affects other
people. Bring in the people who have most recently been
criticized. You don't want to dredge up things that happened
years ago, unless the effects of the encounter with Charlie are
still a factor. Try to limit the number of people in this
meeting.
2. Ask them to tell their side of the story. Give each person a
turn to discuss his or her experience with Charlie. Try to keep
the discussion focused on facts and results. Give Charlie
specific examples.
3. Ask Charlie for an explanation. After each person recounts
his or her experience with Charlie, give him time to explain. In
most cases he will not be able to justify his actions. If there
is an underlying reason for his critical attitude, this is the
point where it should be detected. Is he bitter because he
didn't get a promotion? Do his job responsibilities overwhelm
him? Do his hurt feelings stem from his relationship with you or
another team member? Once you detect the source, deal with it
privately.
4. Give them all guidelines for positive criticism. Tell your
team to come to you to share their opinions or observations about
the company, and to approach individuals on the team directly.
Be clear that criticism should never be expressed to other
people. Remind them that the best way to deal with a problem is
to go directly to the source.
If the problem still continues...
5. If Charlie is an employee, it is time to let him go. If
Charlie is a volunteer, share publicly with people that Charlie
has a critical spirit, and share the process you have asked him
to follow. And encourage people Charlie affects not to provide
him an audience in the future.
As a leader, your goal is to turn Charlie around. I have found
that most difficult personalities were not so difficult once I
faced them. It is possible that Charlie's criticism is stemming
from another issue. By confronting him about his critical
attitude and listening to him, you should be able to find out
what the source of the problem really is.
Respect is the key to difficult relationships, and by giving
Charlie personal attention you will have an opportunity to gain
his respect and build the relationship. If you can help Charlie
overcome his critical spirit, Charlie can become a more
productive team member. Instead of attacking the other members
of his team, Charlie can become a positive problem solver. With
your guidance, he may even become a team leader.
