101: Managing Tough Employees
Difficult employees can be distracting, bring down your team and undermine your authority as a manager. Experts agree that difficult employees are detrimental to your business if the less-than-desirable behavior not addressed quickly. Here are some things to keep in mind, whether dealing with a know-it-all or someone who isn’t pulling their weight.
Don’t get invested. “You should not get emotionally involved with the difficult behavior,” advises an article at DifficultEmployees.com. “You only need to deal with this person at work, and you only need to get as involved as the work requires.” Difficult people can enjoy getting a rise out of other people, the article points out. The site also suggests to avoid arguing with difficult employees. Making your point quickly, with clarification, and moving on to another task will reiterate that you are the manager and save you time.
Lay the framework. A problematic employee must be given a chance to get back on track and be shown how to eliminate negative behaviors. This coaching can be done by someone in human resources, says an article by David G. Javitch at Entrepreneur.com, and include specific feedback. “The employee needs time and practice in ‘trying on’ new, more suitable behaviors,” the article says.
Termination may be the only option. If every other method of improving communication and work performance falls short, the employee may need to be let go. Though a worst-case scenario, this move is necessary to send a message to other employees that your workplace has standards to follow. “The manager will be able to act with relatively little guilt, knowing that he did everything possible to achieve a better outcome,” says Pat Lencioni in an article at BusinessWeek.com.
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