TOXIC EMPLOYEES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM

1. TOXIC EMPLOYEES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM Presented by: Mauricio A. Velásquez, MBA President, CEO The Diversity Training Group Mauriciov@diversitydtg.com For: Prince William SHRM

2. Meet Mauricio Velásquez Mauricio Velásquez is the President of The Diversity Training Group (DTG) in Herndon, VA. Mauricio serves as a diversity trainer, sexual harassment prevention trainer, executive coach, mentoring trainer, expert witness, and assists organizations with multicultural marketing, selling, and customer service. DTG’s clients include small and large, public and private organizations. A partial list includes Datatel, National Institute of Standards and Technology, The Brookings Institution, The United States Coast Guard, Navy JAG Corps, and the Navy Surgeon General to name a few.

3. Meet Mauricio Velásquez • Mauricio is a former human resource generalist and also served as a demographic researcher for the Internal Revenue Service where he first anticipated the rise of diversity inside and outside the workplace. He has had the good fortune to work with Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Peter F. Drucker, and Jerry Harvey. Mauricio credits much of his interest in human resource management and the earning of his MBA to their influences. • Mauricio has trained over 400,000 employees, managers, and executives in the areas of diversity, gender equity, mentoring, and multicultural marketing and selling.

4. How did I come up with this topic? • I have specialized in “hostile audiences”during my sixteen years as a trainer and change agent • As a Sexual Harassment Prevention Trainer • As a Diversity Trainer and Expert Witness • Most recently as an Executive Coach where I am asked “…Please meet with him/her 1:1 all day, coach this person (do what you do in your workshop with one of our people) and tell us whether we fire or keep him/her!”

5. My Two Favorites • “You can’t train all of us, some of us you will have to kill!” • “You must be a *%$#$ Jew!”

6. Addressing Toxic Employees What You Don’t Know You Don’t Know (DKDK) What You Don’t Know (DK) What You Know (K)

7. Intent vs. Impact Intent (What you meant to say) MEAN TO DO vs. Impact (What you actually said) ACTIONS/RESULTS

8. My Agenda • Understand the toxic employee • Understand the the toxic work environment • Learn how to deal with toxic employees and toxic work environments – build a tool kit/skill kit and plan of action

9. Mauricio’s Mission • Provoke Thought • Facilitate Discussion and Learning • Surprise You/Entertain You - Edutain • Add Value • Provide Subject Matter Expertise • Make it interactive and “harness talent in this room” • #1 Ground Rule: PARTICIPATE, Ask Questions!!!

10. “Toxic Employee” • When you hear the phrase - “toxic employee” what pops into your head?

11. Toxic Employee • Always unhappy and negative but they don’t keep their misery to themselves • Why? Because misery loves company! • Body language tells it all • Glass is always half empty • Incredible memory – remembers stuff from years ago • Love to say “Not my job!” • Always looking for proof

12. TE is always looking “for proof” Stereotypes: All of us must begin to address and minimize the many stereotypes that exist within our organization.

13. Toxic Employee (Continued) • Can also be bigoted – negativity is projected towards a particular group – gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion, management or new management • Can be a bully – big, loud, angry (back of my head – potential for violence in the workplace) • Always recruiting! • TE will sink hooks in new person ASAP • “Let me tell you who to watch out for! You with me?”

14. Negative Attitudes and Behaviors… Behaviors Attitudes Values …influence all negatively!

15. Toxic Work Environment • When you hear the phrase - “toxic work environment” what pops into your head?

16. TE “Poisons” the work environment • First – we all know who they are! • But what do we do about them? • Send them to individual 1:1 coaching or • Train everyone – “dip everybody” and sometimes the TE does not even show up • Or do nothing until something happens – what I call a “moment of truth” • Too many organizations contact us with a reactionary posture or “a real sense of urgency”

17. The Perfect Toxic Storm • Toxic employee or manager is a bully (well known) • They have a false sense of security – they have never been challenged • How does TE interpret silence of peers? • Peers are avoiders of conflict or they expect “Manager to do something!” BUT • Manager is not skilled to deal with TE • Manager is the smartest and promoted for their expertise but they don’t have the interpersonal/human relations skills = DKDK and they MEAN WELL

18. Building a Toxic Employee Skill/Tool Kit “To be successful in the new and increasingly diverse century, we need new skills, new tools, and new competencies.” —Mauricio Velásquez

19. “Before You Can Understand Others….. You Must Understand Yourself First!”

20. What Your Scores Tell You

21. What Your Scores Tell You

22. It is in the approach

23. Start Message Start with a Positive Please stop_______________________________________ (describe negative/unproductive behavior) Start_____________________________________________ (describe new, more appropriate/positive behavior) Continue_________________________________________ (describe ongoing positive behavior) End with a Positive

24. I-Statement How do I coach someone when I feel my differences are being held against me? (Start with a Positive) When you ___________________, I feel ______________________ (describe behavior) (impact of behavior) I would prefer ___________________________________________ (new behavior – more appropriate/productive) OR I feel _____________________, when you ____________________ (impact of behavior) (describe behavior) I would prefer ___________________________________________ (new behavior – more appropriate/productive) OR When I see ______________, it makes me feel ____________________ (describe behavior) (impact of behavior on you/group) I would prefer _______________________________________________ (new behavior – more appropriate, more productive) (End with a Positive)

25. WE WANT TO SEE PREFERS WE DON’T WANT TO SEE NEVERS Behaviors that….

26. The Toxicity Can Self Perpetuate

27. Using Communication to Solve Problems ?

28. Using Communication to Solve Problems

29. Action Plan • How can I create a more productive and less toxic work environment? • How can I use what I have learned in this class in my organization and beyond?

30. THANK YOU FOR…….. YOUR TIME YOUR CONSIDERATION and your PARTICIPATION “If you loved the class – tell everybody you know about it. If you didn’t like the class – keep it to yourself!”

31. To contact Mauricio, DTG Mauricio Velásquez, MBA President, CEO The Diversity Training Group 692 Pine Street Herndon, VA 20170 Tel. 703.478.9191 Fax 703.709.0591 Email mauriciov@diversitydtg.com WWW: diversitydtg.com