Colleagues with challenging personalities or negative dispositions can be difficult to manage.

Instead of generalizing a "bad attitude," look deeper at the unacceptable actions of the employee. Once you determine the actions that need to change, you can address someone's bad attitude at work. With clear communication about expectations, the employee will have the opportunity to change the behavior and improve performance.
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Step 1
Speak with the employee privately to address actions you observe. Prepare at least one or two specific examples of actions that exhibit a bad attitude and mention them as you speak with the employee. Possible examples might be a rude exchange between coworkers or a lack of initiative to perform work duties.

Step 2
Confine your comments to the actions only. Do not include references to the employee herself or her personality or the employee may have difficulty hearing your message.

Step 3
Give examples of results of the "bad attitude." For example, if the employee has an angry and hostile aura or shirks responsibilities, other employees may suffer hurt feelings, anger and a lack of team spirit. This can affect production, which can negatively affect the business.

Step 4
Ask the employee to share thoughts and issues with you. The employee may have unresolved reasons for the bad attitude that he has not communicated with you. By resolving the reasons behind the bad attitude, you may help the employee feel happier.

Step 5
Provide concrete examples of your expectations. For example, if the actions you witnessed involved rude exchanges from the employee, make it clear that you expect only professional and respectful conversation in the office. If the actions you witnessed involved a lack of motivation and shirking work responsibilities, make it clear that you expect the employee to perform all work duties without complaining or arguing.

Step 6
Encourage better behavior from the employee. After communicating clearly about what you observe and what you expect, provide encouragement. Say something such as, "I'm sure you can see how these actions are unacceptable. Now that you understand the situation, I don't think we'll have any more problems."

Step 7

Set consequences for future actions that indicate "bad attitude" from the employee. Say something such as, "If we need to revisit these issues because of similar problems, I may have no alternative but to let you go."
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To paraphrase Led Zeppelin, Good days, bad days, you know Ive had my share. Havent we all? Being part of the corporate rat race does not exclude you from being part of the corporeal human race. There are going to be days when what happens at home follows you to work or vice versa. Thats a given. But you dont have to take it out on your colleagues, clients, and family. Some of us are so out of touch with our feelings that we dont even know when weve got a bad attitude. If youre guilty of snapping at others, making sarcastic comebacks, finding fault with people or situations, spreading malicious rumors at the water cooler, and just being a pain in the butt know-it-all on a constant basis, you are in need of an attitude adjustment. Either take a vacation or get a new job. But above all, lose the tude, dude! Heres how: Recognize the Source Get better at recognizing the source of your feelings. Is the reason you chewed out your assistant really because she misspelled your name on an interoffice memo? Or was the extra dose of sarcastic humiliation you gave her in front of her coworkers due to a headache and lack of sleep? Be aware of when its you that is the culprit creating the bad vibe at work. Damage Control Be humble. We all make mistakes. Its understood that tempers sometimes flare when people are working under the pressure of tight deadlines. If you chew someone out at work, admit it and make amends with a quick apology. Smoothing the waters as tensions arise goes a long way towards keeping yourself and your colleagues on an even keel. Emotional Rescue Learn to take your own emotional temperature. If youre feeling upset about something before you even cross the office threshold, slow down for a moment. Take a few deep breaths. In out, in out. Try to visualize letting the tension out with every breath. Go to the washroom and splash some cold water on your face if you need to. A walk around the block in the sunshine will also do wonders to decompress and relax your anxiety. If youre truly not up to being at work, take a sick day. Thats what they are there for. Maybe all you need is a change-of-pace for half a day to get yourself back in the groove.

We Are Not All Out to Get You Dont take things personally. Just because the A/C in your office is the only one that isnt working does not mean theres an office conspiracy to make you miserable. It happens. Call maintenance and get on with your day. Look for Solutions Being the guy or gal who always points out the negative can backfire on you. For instance, if you are trying to gain points with your supervisors by pointing out errors that your associates or predecessors have made, think again. Nobody likes a snitch or a superior attitude. Dont just point out problemscriticisms often fall on deaf ears. Present positive ideas you have for problem solving without denigrating coworkers. Be the one people look to for solutions. Be a Team Player We all want to get ahead and deserve to be recognized for our personal achievements. Where we sometimes get stuck is when we think someone elses good fortune somehow diminishes our own. Taking all the credit for a team effort is not only self-serving, its a quick way to lower morale among your colleagues and cause them to be less than helpful when the next group project comes up. Theres enough to go around and we all have our time to shine. Be supportive of others while supporting your own career goals. Make the environment you work in a win-win situation for everyone on your team. Seek Counseling There are many options available for modern careerists. Depending on the nature of your problem, if you are having difficulties getting along with people at work, you can seek out the advice of a career coach, a spiritual counselor, or a therapist. Many companies include therapy in their health insurance plans. If you are seriously troubled or depressed and find it interfering with your daily activities at work and at home, you may want to take advantage of some professional help. Take a Break Sometimes the only thing needed is a real vacation. If you cant remember the last time you took your full two weeks worth all at one time and spent it somewhere other than your own backyard, no wonder youre in a bad mood! Book your next vacation today. Your colleagues will thank you. Katy Allgeyer is an artist and freelance writer. She writes the Feng Shui column for Working World and the Tell Us About It column for Working Nurse.

1. Surround yourself with positive things and people. If this means ignoring Debbie Downer at work, her loss. I am told that in AA, one of the things they tell you to do is to separate yourself from your drink 'til you throw up buddies. Same thing here. You are addicted to negative thinking and bad motivation. 2. Admit the problem. Dont rationalize that you are just being realistic. Or that someone has to be a truth teller in your organization. Go tell all your truths to the others in the unemployment line. 3. Remember positive things and people. You have these memories, you just need to be able to call them up and relive them. 4. Read great books and literature. There are plenty of self-help, self-motivation books out there. Read a few and try some of the tips you will learn. Become a student, or a motivational hobbyist. More on this later. 5. Work on making yourself more likable. Yes, I am serious. Here is a piece that might help. 6. Laugh. I do not know any negative people who laugh--a lot. It is simply impossible to be negative and out of sorts if you smile and laugh a lot. 7. Read this. A revealing admission. I have read countless positive motivation books. I have seen Zig Ziglar. But the one book I keep coming back to is the one that literally shook me to my own core when I was 25 or so. It is not a motivational book, per se. In fact, it is a novel. For me, reading this book was a life changing event. If you have not yet read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, run to the library and check it out.