As a recently promoted IT manager in a middle sized company, I've been asked to nominate a person who will have to change office and provide assistance to our teams working in the field. I consider this the perfect opportunity to improve the working environment by transferring a problem employee.
The person, lets call him Jonny, is a historical figure in the company, but his permanently negative and dismissive attitude (consider this, his main responsibility is helpdesk/tech support... ) has turned him into an office-wide joke.
To get a better picture, remember your last phone call with a customer assistance rep that answered like you just spat in his plate... And since it's an open space office, everybody gets a daily dose of Johnny throwing tantrums over a password reset, every conversation ends with him slamming the phone etc.
Before you ask, no, I can't let him go, for various reasons related to the company culture and office politics.
His attitude reflects badly on the entire IT department, me included, because many of his colleagues, even if more polite or competent, have way less visible roles.
We've had new hires on similar positions this year and I wouldn't want to have him take it personally or think it's an issue of competency.
The decision has already been made, I'm more interestedlooking for help in how to tactfully communicate to him that he is no longer neededworking in our office.
