Every company has a difficult employee -- the person who
constantly complains, bullies others or is not working up to par.
As a manager, you must act on this issue immediately, because the
longer the employee demonstrates this behavior, the worse it will
get, the harder it will be to change it, the less work will be
completed and the lower employee morale will be.
Keep in mind that workplace conflicts are natural and all
employees can be difficult from time to time because of stress or
external issues. It’s not always your least-productive
employees who may have a conflict.
Most conflicts can be solved by empowering employees to
resolve them on their own, but occasionally you will have to
address some of the issues. It is the manager’s responsibility
to constantly be aware of workplace problems and to coach the
employees through the problem.
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) offers these solutions to
dealing a difficult employee:
Research the employee behavior. Before you
confront an employee, examine the situation to confirm that you
have the facts and that you are not acting on rumor or
gossip. If you have not seen the inappropriate behavior, delve
deeper into the situation by observing or asking those involved for
background.
Many difficult employees behave in an inappropriate way
because it has worked for them in the past. Others may be
frustrated with the job or feel undervalued, or may be having
challenges outside of work. If you’re part of the problem,
recognize and acknowledge this as well.
Plan your approach to correcting the
problem. Think before you act. Evaluate each
occurrence as a unique situation. Plan the timing of the
confrontation and find a private location.
Meet with the Employee to Alert Him or Her About the
Issue. As you mention the issue, use “I” statements rather
than “you” statements, such as, “I am feeling frustrated because
our team is not meeting its goals,” rather than, “you are not
performing up to par.” Then ask the employee why the worker
takes the approach that he or she does. Listen carefully to
the worker’s story and determine if he or she is aware of the
problem. Remain positive and nonjudgmental, do not interrupt
and remember to deal with the behavior, not the person.
Come to a solution. Ask for the worker’s
recommendation on next steps and work together to form a
solution. An employee, who has helped to develop a solution,
is more likely to implement it. Discuss a timeline for
changing the behavior and define expectations for the future and
how not meeting those expectations will affect the work
environment.
After you recognize the problem ensure that the employee
understands the consequences if the problem continues, such as
transfer or dismissal. Encourage him or her to
summarize your expectations.
You may wish to document the behavior in an employee file or
performance review. Often, documentation will help motivate an
employee, and, in the worst case scenario, you will have valid
documentation in case you must dismiss the employee.
Evaluate the employee’s behavior. Continuously
monitor the situation and alert the employee if you see
improvement. If an improvement is not made within the planned
time period, consult your legal counsel before you dismiss an
employee to ensure that you complete the process properly.
As a manager, you cannot ignore problems in the
workplace. Dealing with issues proactively will help to
provide a comfortable workplace and boost employee morale.
