Whether you are a business owner, a supervisor, or a manager you will have to deal with difficult employees at some point or another. This is because there are always difficult employees and because it is your job to deal with these employees. It is very similar to working with kids or babysitting. These employees most likely behave this way because they have gotten away with it in the past and it's worked for them to get what they want. Kids are very similar in that if you reward them for bad behavior they will continue to think that is the way things are done.
Step 1 Determine which employees are giving you trouble and try to find the cause. Often the cause will be due to stress either on the job or off. Determine the severity of the problem and decide the time frame that action needs to be taken. The important thing is to realize that each situation is unique and can bring a new problem that needs a new solution. There is no one size fits all in dealing with difficult employees. When determining what/who is the cause of the problems, it is a good idea to follow the court system. Don't base your decisions on hear-say or rumors. Get all the facts and evidence before making any decisions. Also, document everything (you should already be doing this for every aspect of your business). Also, decide if you or your management is part of the problem and ask yourself what needs to change.
Step 2 Write down your plan to resolve the problem. You should be used to writing out plans. This is a very simple but effective way to transfer your thoughts on the matter to a place that you can look back on. It will also help to keep you from putting off the matter. It gives you something to look at and remember that you need to keep at it until resolved. It would also be a good idea to determine whether you need a 3rd party to sit in on the discussion that's going to happen. This could be another manager/supervisor, the HR director, the owner, or simply just the parties involved.
Step 3 Put your plan into action and bring your written plan with you, if needed. The quicker that you resolve the matter, the easier it will be. As we said in the beginning if employees are allowed to get away with bad behavior it will continue, often getting worse with time. Confronting the employee is not fun for anyone but it is necessary for your company and for the other employees to know you care. This can be the hardest part of the scenario, but if you handle it correctly, then your employee should benefit and in the end know what is expected of them. In the end of the day, you want to reach an agreement with your employee to resolve the problem, which in turn you want to resolve the behavior.
Step 4
Follow up on the issue to make sure it is resolved. You need to make sure that all employees have a clear understanding of what is appropriate behavior for your place of business. A good way to do this is to lead by example and take action when inappropriate behavior takes place. If you are the owner, make sure your management is leading by example and they have a crystal clear understanding of what is acceptable.
A few points that may help:
First draw out the problem ( this can be done by not judging or showing biased - ask questions that require an in depth answer instead of yes or no type questions)
After you determine the problem it's time to discuss it (The key being to discuss the problem not the employee)
Give the employee the benefit of the doubt and don't get angry, remain calm and stay professional
Remember that there could be many factors triggering the problem (this includes personal problems, find out what you can do to help resolve the cause of the problem)
Follow up with the issue and make sure that it is taken care of
Realize that sometimes the issue may be out of your control (the employee could need the help of a pro)
Set rewards for good behavior and consequences for bad behavior just like with kids.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 View other articles written by Justin Fuller(45)
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