How to Manage Staff with Bad Attitudes

Every dental office faces its fair share of challenges, but few are as damaging as a staff member with a bad attitude. 

When one person starts being difficult, it creates a ripple effect through your entire practice, threatening the culture and success you’ve worked so hard to build. 

But here’s the good news: with the right strategies, you can learn how to manage staff with bad attitudes and even transform these situations into opportunities for growth!

Here’s how to protect the environment you’ve built from negative attitudes in and around the office.

How Do I Identify Problem Attitudes?

The first step to effective employee attitude management is recognizing the warning signs that show their inappropriate behavior. 

It’s not always obvious at first — sometimes, it’s a subtle shift in tone or a pattern of small disruptions. But over time, these behaviors can escalate, creating tension and inefficiency in your practice. 

Start by observing patterns:

• Is there a team member who consistently resists feedback?

• Someone who always seems to have a complaint? 

• A staff member whose interactions with patients feel cold or rushed? 

These behaviors are often part of a larger issue that needs addressing. By paying attention to these patterns, you can take proactive steps before the problem spirals out of control.

Related: Performance Review Examples: How to Evaluate Dental Staff

Common Behavioral Red Flags

Problematic attitudes often manifest in specific, observable ways. 

These red flags can disrupt workflows, create tension among team members, and even impact patient satisfaction. 

Here are some of the most common signs to watch out for in your dental practice to help you devise strategies on how to manage staff with bad attitudes.

Chronic Negativity & Complaining

Negative employee attitudes can be a silent disruptor, chipping away at team morale and patient satisfaction if ignored.

Negativity is contagious. A staff member who constantly complains about scheduling, patients, or management decisions can quickly drain the morale of your entire team. 

Occasional venting is normal, but when negativity becomes a daily occurrence, it’s a sign of a deeper issue. 

In a dental office, where positivity and teamwork are the foundation of success, chronic complaining can create a toxic environment that disrupts productivity and impacts everyone involved.

Resistance to Change & Feedback

The dental industry is constantly evolving, with new techniques, tools, and patient expectations emerging all the time. 

A staff member who resists change or refuses to accept constructive feedback can hold your practice back. 

Whether it’s a refusal to learn a new procedure or pushback on performance reviews, this resistance can lead to stagnation and missed opportunities for growth.

Poor Team Collaboration

A dental office runs on teamwork. 

From helping out during procedures to keeping patient flow on track, everyone needs to work together to keep things running smoothly. 

But when a staff member refuses to pitch in — whether it’s ignoring requests for help or failing to communicate — it can throw everything off! 

And it’s not just the team that suffers. 

Poor collaboration can lead to mistakes that directly impact the quality of care your patients receive.

Decreased Work Quality

A bad attitude often shows up in the quality of work. 

Careless mistakes, lack of attention to detail, or a general decline in performance can all be signs of disengagement. 

In a dental practice, where it’s non-negotiable to maintain precision and professionalism, these lapses can have serious consequences not only for your patients’ safety but also for the reputation of your practice.

Patient Interaction Issues

Your patients are the heart of your practice, and how they feel about their experience truly matters.

When a staff member has a bad attitude — whether it’s through rude comments, dismissive communication, or showing little empathy — it can create negative patient interactions, potentially pushing them to look for care elsewhere.

Related: Client Communication Strategies That Build Patient Trust

Attendance & Punctuality Problems

Frequent tardiness or absenteeism is often a sign of disengagement.

When a staff member regularly shows up late or calls out without notice, it throws off the schedule and places additional stress on the rest of the team scrambling to pick up the slack.

While you might want to brush it under the rug and give them the benefit of the doubt, over time, this kind of behavior can damage trust and create resentment among colleagues.

How to Manage Staff with Bad Attitudes

Once you’ve identified a problem attitude, the real work begins!

Addressing it requires a thoughtful, professional approach that focuses on solutions rather than blame. 

You can turn difficult staff management as an opportunity to demonstrate both empathy and firmness, creating a path to resolution that strengthens the team without isolating the employees or upsetting the rest of the team.

Root Cause Analysis Methods

Before jumping to conclusions, take the time to understand the root cause of the behavior. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the staff member dealing with personal stress? 

• Are there unresolved conflicts within the team?

• Is the issue related to dissatisfaction with their role? 

The strategies on how to manage staff with bad attitudes should be tailored to the underlying cause — and if you don’t know them, it’s time to find out.

Initial Intervention Strategies

Private Discussion Approaches

Private discussions are a key part of learning how to manage staff with bad attitudes, as they allow you to address concerns without embarrassing the employee.

Calling out a staff member in front of their colleagues can lead to embarrassment and defensiveness, making the situation worse.

Instead, do this:

• Schedule a one-on-one meeting where you can discuss the behavior calmly and professionally

• Use specific examples to illustrate your concerns

• Focus on the impact their behavior has on the team and the practice 

Documentation Requirements

Document incidents and conversations for accountability and legal protection. 

By keeping detailed records of dates, specific behaviors, and discussion outcomes, you create a foundation for tracking progress.

Recording all of these events will help track your progress and ensure consistency and fairness in how you address issues.

Setting Clear Expectations

Always be clear when you address their misdemeanors. 

Employee behavior correction should focus on setting clear expectations and providing actionable feedback to encourage positive changes. Clearly communicate what’s expected in terms of behavior, teamwork, and performance.

While it might feel easier to try to beat around the bush, it’ll do you both a disservice when misunderstandings happen and boundaries aren’t clear.

For example, you might set specific guidelines for punctuality, collaboration, or patient interactions. In addition to this, always put these expectations into writing to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Specific Goal Setting

Set specific, measurable goals to help the staff member improve.

For example, you might ask them to arrive on time every day for a month or participate in a team-building activity. 

Align these goals with the overall mission and values of your practice to reinforce their importance.

Progress Monitoring Methods

Regular check-ins are a must for tracking progress and providing actionable feedback. 

Schedule follow-up meetings to review workplace behavior improvement and address any unresolved concerns.

Being consistent in your monitoring sends a clear message that you are dedicated to the success and improvement of every staff member. Frequent check-ins also provide opportunities for constructive feedback!

Support Resource Implementation

Sometimes, staff members need additional support to effectively overcome challenges.

Providing resources like training, mentorship, or counseling can make a big difference in their personal and professional development. 

You might offer customer service training to improve patient interactions or stress management workshops to address personal challenges. 

Professional conduct coaching is another valuable tool that can help employees build the skills necessary for positive interactions with both patients and colleagues. You can do it with the individual with the bad attitude or can bring it into the whole office if you want to prevent problems before they happen.

Related: How to Improve Leadership Skills in Your Dental Practice

How to Protect the Rest of Your Team's Dynamics Moving Forward

Maintain Staff Morale

Taking the time to recognize and celebrate achievements is one of the most impactful ways for team morale improvement not only in a dental office but in any organization.

Celebrate milestones together, offer meaningful incentives for exceptional performance, and create opportunities for your staff to feel genuinely appreciated and valued.

A positive workplace culture can counteract the effects of negativity and keep your team motivated to perform at their best.

Develop Communication Guidelines

Always practice clear communication to maintain a healthy workplace. 

Establish thoughtful guidelines for addressing grievances, sharing feedback, and resolving conflicts. Doing this can help create a sense of fairness and reduce the risk of misunderstandings, helping your team feel supported and valued.

Have Conflict Resolution Protocols

Workplace conflict resolution protocols ensure that disputes are handled fairly and don’t escalate into larger issues. 

When conflicts are left unresolved, they can strain relationships and disrupt team dynamics. 

A structured approach — like mediation or involving a neutral third party — provides a fair and transparent way to address concerns. This helps maintain trust, harmony, and a sense of support within the team.

Hiring Process Improvements

Preventing bad attitudes begins with selecting the right individuals during the hiring process!

Refine your recruitment process to carefully evaluate candidates’ attitudes and teamwork skills. 

Utilizing behavioral interview questions and conducting thorough reference checks can also offer valuable insights into whether a candidate will fit your practice’s culture and contribute positively to the team.

Create Culture-Building Initiatives

Building a strong workplace culture is one of the best ways to keep negativity at bay.

Try organizing team-building activities, regular staff meetings, or fun office celebrations to bring your team closer together. 

For example, you could host a lunch-and-learn or plan a volunteer day. These kinds of activities create a sense of community and help reinforce the values that make your practice special.

Transform Your Workplace Today with Wonderful Dental

Learning how to manage staff with bad attitudes doesn’t come easy, but it is a skill that you need to practice in running a dental practice. 

After all, patients always love coming to appointments knowing they will be greeted and taken care of by lovely and professional staff!

At Wonderful Dental, we understand the importance of a well-functioning team. That’s why we are committed to supporting dental practices with high-quality, affordable products that make your job easier. 

From fluoride varnish with superior taste to dye-free prophy paste, our products are designed to enhance your practice and improve patient care. 

Ready to transform your workplace? Request your free samples today and see how Wonderful Dental can help you build a better, brighter future for your team and your patients.