Businesswoman talking on a cell phone
Employers may classify employees as “difficult” for a variety of reasons. The problem is usually not your overall performance or productivity, although it can be. A difficult employee may frequently complain about workplace practices, supervisors, or co-workers, or it may be other team members who have problems with a particular employee. Whatever the exact behavioral disturbance, effective secrets for handling difficult employees include dealing with the situation promptly, using “I” statements instead of “you” statements, and focusing on developing a solution instead of focusing on the problem.
A completely peaceful workplace is rare, even elusive. Behavioral difficulties are likely to affect other workers, regardless of their position level in the company. A common mistake many managers make is to dismiss minor problems or complaints about an employee’s struggles. These managers may believe that difficulties are the result of personality clashes between co-workers or that minor behavior problems are likely to go away on their own. However, efficiently managing difficult employees means fixing even the smallest problems before they become bigger problems that end up involving more workers and taking time away from the actual work process.
The difficult employee’s manager should meet with this person as soon as possible. In the meeting, the manager should use “I” statements that address the behavior rather than “you” statements that focus on blaming the employee. For example, instead of saying, “You haven’t been following company policy,” management should start with something like, “I need everyone to follow company policy.” One of the most successful secrets to managing difficult employees is to involve them in problem solving.
For example, the manager might ask you how best to ensure that all workers adhere to company policy on a specific topic. The discussion can then move on to a constructive problem-solving session. A plan should then be developed to correct the behavior with the difficult employee.
The most important of the secrets to managing difficult employees is to listen to them. If the worker begins to become defensive or indifferent, the manager can employ an active listening strategy. This means the employer can say something like, “I really want to hear your side of this problem. Tell me what you think” so that the worker begins to speak. It is important that the manager does not interrupt. Instead, taking notes and discussing the points with the employee in the context of the corrective plan can end the discussion on a positive and constructive level.