As managers and as employees, our work place demeanor is composed of three major components that I call B.A.T. – Behavior, Attitude, and Training. These three components are all that are needed for us to perform effectively, and to assess someone else’s performance in any task that is undertaken. Unfortunately, business people seem to misjudge performance by mistaking a change in one component for another when assessing performance problems.
I will explain.
According To Webster
The dictionary defines behavior as a manner of behaving or acting. Not very specific is it? In my world, what I mean by that is assessing how someone deals with a variety of stimuli. For example, continuing to come in late is a behavorial problem. Using language deemed inappropriate by your workplace culture is also behavior related. The stimuli affecting the behavior can be work related, or completely un-work related (ie: a fight with your spouse).
Attitude is a slighty different animal. Attitude is defined as a manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind, as in “he has a negative attitude”.
Attitude is a little tougher to assess because it is more subjective, but I can assure you, you’ll know it when you see it. “I hate my co-workers and I have a handgun” might be subjectively construed as an example of a bad attitude.
Training reflects a person’s competence in his performance of a job or task. To be honest, I used the word Training in this exercise, because the “T” in Training worked better with B.A.T. than the “C” in Competence (that would have turned B.A.T. into B.A.C., and I think that stands for blood alcohol content. And just in case you are keeping score, B.A.C. would qualify as behaviorial.) Competence is defined as possession of the required skill, knowledge, qualification, or capacity, as in “I am sure he hired her because of her competence as an accountant, not because she has great legs.”
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When fully performing, our B.A.T. is in perfect harmony, and all three components are weighted equally. When fully performing, we are not demonstrating any behavioral problems, we have a healthy “can do” attitude, and we have all the skills necesary to handle the assignment at hand. But, all three can be thrown off the beam when one or more are out of balance. For example, if an employee is demonstrating a behavioral problem like perpetual lateness, it can affect their and other staff member’s attitude toward their work. The symptom may in fact look like a problem of competence or bad attitude, when in fact it was caused by some other behavioral problem.
What an Attitude Dude!
The same can be said of attitude. If an employee has been passed over for a raise, promotion, or key project, their attitude can sour to the point that they begin to demonstrate behavioral problems, leading to lower quality work indicating a competence problem.
The key for managers or all of you budding managers is to recognize which of the three components is the source of the problem and to address it, and not automatically assume the symptom you are seeing is actually the disease. It is not easy, but with practice you will be able to differentiate between them. If in doubt, just re-read my definitions. In fact, I think you should print out this posting, shrink it, laminate it, and carry it in your purse or wallet. Ok, maybe I have gone a tad overboard, but if you do practice, you will start to recognize the differences. When you see a behavioral problem, say that to yourself. The same for attitude and of course, competency.
So in closing, begin looking at your own and your co-worker’s performance in terms of B.A.T and you will have a much better chance of determining the true source of a problem before their B.A.T problem increases your B.A.C. and causes higher B.P., thereby requiring buku TLC.
TTFN (ta ta for now for over the 30 crowd!! Yes, I am very hip.)
Let me know what you think.
Leave me a comment or email me at mike.anderson@directyourcareer.com
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Excellent post. Great insight. Proper perspective on all critical elements of work performance. Thanks again, Mike.
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