Sullen Sally
Sally seeks the bruised and brown spots in every situation. Mushy and melancholy, Sally goes soft instead of looking for a
solution.
Ripe: Prudence and pessimism aren't the same thing. While it's OK to examine an idea from all angles, it's quite another to go
fishing for flaws. A savvy Sally has forethought and sees potential potholes in plans then brainstorms how to fill those ruts.
She doesn't bring her personal problems to work, either.
Rotten: Sally complains, nitpicks, and criticizes everyone and everything. Being negative seems to be her only source of joy. Why
else would she veto every proposal team members make to improve the hospital and never submit her own ideas? And, of course,
she always has a personal sob story to share with the group.
If you work with a Sally: In close quarters, one bad mood can quickly ruin everyone's day, Weakley says. To stop the downward spiral before it starts,
Weakley asks staff to check their attitudes at the practice door. While this approach works for those having an off day, it
doesn't solve the problems of those who constantly cry, "Why me? Poor me."
Gair recommends calling these true pessimistic employees out on their bad behavior and asking for solution-oriented thinking.
For example, Gair asks employees to go to the supervisor with three suggested solutions to the problem.
When you do address the depressed, do so privately, DeNayer says. If Sally continues to infect the hospital's culture after
you've approached her, it's time for group therapy, she says. "And, yes, your hospital has a culture whether you realize it
or not," DeNayer says. You can usually find a summary of your culture, including which behaviors aren't acceptable, in your
employee handbook. So if a dark cloud has formed over your hospital, schedule a team meeting as soon as possible to review—or
redo—your culture, DeNayer says.
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