Dealing with tough employees is a tough job for any CEO. Managing different personalities in the workplace can be tricky, and is one of the challenges that separates an average leader from a great one.
Here are some ways to deal with tough employees, and advice on turning problems into opportunities for growth and productivity in your team.
Signs and Behavior of a Difficult Employee
A difficult employee is a big problem for any CEO or business owner. Their behavior can affect employee morale and overall performance in the workplace. But how can you spot these problematic team members before things get out of hand?
Type #1: The Underperformer
They don’t do their job properly, not living up to their potential despite having the ability to.
Type #2: The Negative Nelly
They’re always complaining, and spreading negativity which undermines leaders and team members alike. Their attitude directly affects productivity and creates a toxic work environment that could lead to higher staff turnover if not addressed soon.
Type #3: The Know-It-All
They think they know more or are better than everyone else around them. They ignore input from colleagues and demoralize other team members in the organization.
Management of Difficult Employees
One obvious solution to dealing with your toughest employees is to fire them. But let’s assume you have a good reason not to fire them yet. Maybe you think you can coach them to turn around or you need them until you can find their replacement.
Assuming you are going to manage them, here are the steps you can take.
Identify the Problem
The first step in managing tough employees is for you to identify the problem. Bad attitudes and poor performance are often symptoms of underlying issues.
A troublemaker might be struggling with personal issues, lack of skills required for the role or feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities. In some cases, your employee won’t do their job because of misunderstanding of expectations or poor communication from leadership.
To identify these root causes you need to observe your team members closely and have open conversations with them. Open communication (done well) allows employees who exhibit difficult behavior to express their concerns without fear of retribution.
This will help you find out if there’s a management style issue within your organization that is affecting employee performance negatively.
Establish Boundaries
Dealing with difficult employees involves setting clear expectations. This is key to managing problematic behavior and for your hard-working employees to know their place in the team. To ensure an employee succeeds you need to set and communicate expectations for acceptable behavior.
If an employee doesn’t meet their obligations or performance is sub-par you need to establish consequences.
- Create a Code of Conduct: This document outlines expected behaviour and what happens if those standards aren’t met.
- Promote Open Communication: Encourage direct reports to speak up without fear of retribution, build trust between leaders and team members.
- Maintain Consistency: Apply the rules across all levels of staff; this prevents favouritism which can lead to higher staff turnover.
Remember, boundaries are not about control but creating an environment where everyone feels respected and valued.
Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is key. This is more than just delivering clear instructions or setting expectations, you need to create an environment where open and respectful conversation can happen.
Research shows poor communication often leads to misunderstandings that exacerbate issues like bad attitudes, difficult employee behavior, and even disruption of employee morale.
- Create Clear Expectations: Make sure each team member knows their job; this reduces the chance of poor performance due to confusion.
- Provide Honest Feedback: Constructive criticism helps the employee improve while addressing the behavior directly. Remember: It’s not a personal attack but a way to grow.
- Establish Frequent Check-ins: Don’t wait until annual reviews to discuss the underlying issues affecting the employee’s behavior.
Be consistent in your message – direct but understanding of their concerns. This helps with managing difficult employees and fostering team harmony.
Listen Carefully
You need to learn to listen. This means more than just hearing what they say, but understanding what’s really behind the behavior. A bad attitude or poor performance can often stem from feeling unheard or unvalued at work.
Leaders who listen actively build stronger teams and better environments.
The Art of Active Listening
To effectively manage problematic employees, you need specific skills required for active listening:
- Show empathy: Let your team members know you get it.
- Maintain eye contact: This non-verbal cue shows you’re paying attention to what they are saying.
- Nod occasionally: This simple gesture shows you agree or understand what’s being said without interrupting the flow.
Remember communication is not just about getting your point across, it’s also about understanding theirs.
Be Flexible
Managing difficult employees requires a balance of firmness and flexibility.
The trick is to be flexible not just for the benefit of the difficult employee but also for your whole team.
For example, if you have an employee who is working incredibly hard but exhibiting difficult behavior due to stress or burnout, offering flexible hours or remote work options might help take the pressure off and keep their value to the team.
This can turn a bad attitude into a more cooperative team member. It shows as leaders we’re willing to meet them halfway – we acknowledge the underlying issues affecting their performance rather than just focusing on punishment for poor performance.
Just remember; being flexible doesn’t mean you tolerate negative behavior that disrupts the team forever. There should still be clear boundaries set from the start on what is acceptable behavior in your organization so no one person can create a toxic environment and drive up turnover.
Take Action
If an employee’s behavior is still impacting others and dragging down your team’s morale then it may be time for more serious steps such as written warnings or even dismissal.
Always consult with HR before taking any drastic action against a troublesome employee to make sure you’re following company policy and the law.
This isn’t easy but remember one person’s bad behavior shouldn’t bring down leaders or create a toxic work environment and higher staff turnover or poor customer relations.
What to Do if The Difficult Employee Has Created a Toxic Work Environment
If you have a challenging employee who has created an unhealthy work environment, you need to act quickly and firmly. As we’ve discussed a negative culture can lead to higher staff turnover, poor customer relations, and disrupts employee morale.
Firstly, acknowledge the issue. Ignoring an employee’s behavior only makes it worse.
Open Communication:
- Talk openly with your team members about what they are experiencing. This will help identify underlying issues that may be causing this negative atmosphere.
- Poor communication fuels bad behavior so make sure everyone feels heard.
- Set clear rules of conduct for all employees, including consequences for bad attitude or any other form of misconduct.
- Invest time into teaching managers the skills required to deal with difficult employees in the future.
FAQs in Relation to Managing Difficult Employees
What is the best way to deal with difficult employees?
The best way is to identify the problem, set clear boundaries, open communication, listen to concerns, offer support and resources, be flexible when needed, and take action if required.
What are 8 types of disruptive employees?
The eight types include: The Know-It-Alls, The Slackers, The Drama Queens/Kings, The Loners, The Gossip or Rumor Spreaders, The Negativity Spreader, The Overly Ambitious, and finally those who Resist Change.
How do you deal with a disruptive employee?
Addressing disruption requires direct communication about the problematic behavior. Set clear expectations for improvement while providing supportive resources. If the issues persist, consider disciplinary actions.
Disruption requires direct communication about the behavior. Set clear expectations for improvement and provide supportive resources. If the issues persist then disciplinary action.
How do you deal with an aggressive employee?
Dealing with aggression means an assertive but respectful conversation about their behavior. Set firm boundaries and suggest they do professional development programs that promote emotional intelligence in the workplace.
Conclusion
Dealing with difficult employees doesn’t have to be a CEO’s nightmare, but by using the proper techniques, you may be able to turn them around.
Contact an Experienced CEO Coach
My name is Glenn Gow, CEO Coach. I love coaching CEOs and want to help make you an even better CEO. Let’s decide if we are a fit for each other. Schedule a time to talk with me at calendly.com/glenngow. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
