HOW TO MANAGE DIFFICULT EMPLOYEES

The Organisation is a large group consisting a huge number of employees. Management expect them to work as per rules and regulation , guideline and strategies . Most of employees and workers do as they told to do so . As all people are not the same likewise all the employees are not  same . Most of the employees follow the rules and work accordingly to get more productivity and contribute to get work done in time and to achieve the goal .

The term "Difficult Employee" is typically used to refer to the worker who fails to conduct themselves  in a responsible and/or professional manner in the workplace. Employees who refuse to take responsibility when things go wrong, either blaming others or coming up with excuses, can be problematic.

Difficult  people at work comes in different forms. Like, say, some keeping talking but is never ready to listen. Some others are terrible criticisers and dishonest to their own responsibilities. The employee who has nothing to say , riles up other team members unnecessarily and makes working life miserable.

Effectively dealing with such employees can be among the greatest challenges that have to face by concerned managers.  

Well, Normally In every organisation, you encounter a fair share of difficult people. And you as a manager  find it challenging to deal with difficult people at work. But that skill is worth rewarding.

Generally it is observed that the Difficult Employees in any organisation having more or less the same common behaviour. Few of those are as follows –

Uncompromising attitude

Stealing Ideas and thoughts of fellow employees

Always try to take credit of other employees

Smart phone addiction

Double standard personality

Showing of false worries

Shouting at others

Blaming others every time

Necessity To Deal With Difficult People At Workplace.

Once you realise that you are facing difficulties  from the Employee , Coworker. first you normally tend to ignore them. As time pass, you try to console yourselves that relationships may  get better with time. Sooner or later, the day will come when you will feel miserable going to your workplace. You will feel angry and pained . All your efforts to not address your difficulties will seem unjustified.

Rather than endure such problems, it's easier to have a open conversation and communicate  frankly  with the other person and discuss your dilemmas Thus, choosing to live long-term with a difficult situation isn't a choice. If you are convinced, here are some best ways to help you deal with difficult people at work.

HOW TO HANDLE DIFFICULT PEOPLE

 Never Over-React , Assess Yourself.

Always begin with self-examination to assess it's the difficult person's activities that are troubling you. Make sure that you are not over-reacting. Ask yourself if you always experience difficulty while dealing with similar people.

Don't  React, If You Know That  Works.

People always try to get a reaction of your feelings. If you react, they get the chance to repeat themselves. So the next time a coworker says something provocative, try not to react that soon. You can either ignore them or respond in a way that would depict that you are not concerned about their comments. It would put the conversation to rest.

Let The Difficult Person Understand Your Feelings.

If you see that, without reactions, things get bitter, let them know how you feel. Be smart and clearly walk up to your coworker or senior and inform them that you do not appreciate how they are treating you.

Try not to burst into your office, asking for answers. Instead, you can do it in a private mode of conversation. Attempt your best not to explode while you are conversing with them. Disclose to them precisely what they are doing and how it is causing you to feel.

It is also important to be pleasing and agreeable as you talk with the other individual. They may not know about the effect of their words or activities on you and accept their mistake. Again, some people might deny it or attempt to clarify your concerns. To keep it balanced, you must try to reach an agreement about positive and supportive actions going forward.

Talk With Your Senior.

It may sound like a radical move to take, but often a message from those further up the chain is what they need to reform their ways. Note that, to have a difficult conversation with your senior, you need to prepare accordingly. You should be careful with your approach, and predetermine what works with your senior.

Be sure that you are calm when communicating to explain what is troubling you, how it impacts your job, and how you wish it to be addressed. Take notes with you, if required.

It can be a good practice to record your colleague’s disrespectful behaviour, which you can provide as proof when you speak to your manager. You can talk to the other employees who might have an issue with the difficult person-carefully. It is because group approaches often persuade the manager that the behaviour's effect is broader and deeper.

Don't  Take It Personally.

At the point when somebody is continuously discourteous and  rude , you can start to think about it literally and feel like you  have accomplished something incorrectly. It might be there is something in particular about you that the individual doesn't care for.

Such employee’s  behaviour  may be originating from that individual's thoughts and beliefs; however, that doesn't  mean you have done something wrong. Keeping this in mind will help you to confront the person, more confidently.

If all these approaches fail, you can try to limit your access to a difficult person. Also, if possible, you can request to get transferred to a different department within the organisation. If you do that, you may never have to deal with the rough coworker again.

Critique The  Behaviour - Not The Employee. 

When it comes to confronting a difficult employee about his workplace behaviour or performance, what you say and how you say it can have a significant impact on the outcome of your conversation. One of the easiest ways to make sure the discussion does not become overly personal or emotional is to focus specifically on the employee’s behaviour. This approach prevents your feedback from seeming like a personal attack on the employee. Make sure the employee knows that you are hoping to find a solution to the problem that you can both agree on and you will be setting the stage for productive interaction.

Document The Problematic Behaviour.

Keeping an accurate record of behaviour and performance is key when managing employees. Any time you witness an employee’s inappropriate behaviour or poor performance, make a note. That way, if you do have to sit down with the employee at some point, you can refer to specific instances rather than making vague statements about the employee’s problematic behaviour. If the employee is dismissed and decides to sue for wrongful termination, having a detailed account of the employee’s behaviour on record can also protect the company from liability. 

Explain Clearly The Inappropriate Employee’s Behaviour.

Critiquing an employee’s behaviour can be stressful for the managers. No one enjoys confrontation, especially when it involves a co-worker. It is far easier to let the employee’s behaviour slide and hope it improves with time, but that passive approach doesn’t  solve the issue and favour  you, the other employees, or the organisation any good. As a manager, you must be clear and direct in explaining to difficult employees why their behaviour is inappropriate and how you expect it to change. Not only does this make your critique seem less like an unwarranted personal attack, but it also gives troublesome employees a clear picture of what they can do to improve their performance. 

Be Consistent.

When it comes to setting a standard for what you expect in terms of workplace behaviour and employee performance, consistency is key. You can’t sometimes be okay with employees showing up late to work or submitting incomplete reports and sometimes have a problem with it. Stick to organisation policy and be consistent in your feedback and you’ll find that your good employees will work to ensure their performance and behaviour are up to your standards. 

Consider The Employee’s Feedback.

Making your position known is important when dealing with difficult employees, but making an effort to hear your employees out and consider their feedback is just as important. By allowing a challenging employee to state his case, you may be able to identify a workplace issue you weren’t aware of and take steps to address it. In some cases, simply feeling heard is incentive enough for a difficult employee to change his behaviour.

Work With the Employee For Solution.

Any time you have to meet with an employee to discuss bad behaviour or poor performance, the desired outcome should involve the two of you working together to come up with a practical solution to the problem. Once you have clearly laid out the behavioural issues for the employee and given him a chance to speak his mind, you and the employee can work towards resolving the issue in a way that you can both agree on. 

Fix Timeline for Improvement.

Just as important as clearly explaining how the employee’s behaviour or performance must change is setting a specific timeline for improvement. Give the employee adequate time to correct the issue and monitor his progress during the agreed-upon time frame, being sure to check in periodically or intervene if the employee deviates from the plan. Once the  timeline has expired, set up an evaluation with the employee to discuss his progress. 

Consequences  Of  Continued Poor Performance.

Consequences do not mean threatening the employee with termination if the situation doesn’t change. However, you should make sure the employee is aware of the specific consequences he could face if his behaviour does not improve during the agreed-upon time frame. Depending on the situation, these negative consequences could include a formal written warning, a mark on his record, a demotion, losing bonus eligibility, or, as a last resort, dismissal from employment. Difficult employees are unlikely to make a serious effort to change their behaviour unless they know that continuing on the same path will have an ongoing negative impact on their employment. 

Don’t  Ever Disparage The Employee.

Dealing with a difficult employee can be frustrating and stressful, but that doesn’t excuse bad-mouthing the employee to your co-workers. No matter how challenging you may find the situation to be or how tempting it may be to commiserate with other employees, a good manager never resorts to trash-talking. This type of unprofessional behaviour can quickly set a tone of distrust, suspicion, or even hostility among the other employees, and that is simply not the way you want your workplace to operate. 

Accept The Fact That Some People Won’t Change.

No manager wants to have to fire an employee, but realistically speaking, there will be times when dismissal is the best choice for the organisation. Not all people are capable of change, and keeping a disruptive or difficult employee on the payroll just to avoid firing him threatens the other workers’ performance and morale. If you have already worked through the organisation’s processes and attempted to find a solution using the interventions discussed above and the employee is still unwilling to make the necessary changes, you need to cut your losses and begin the termination process. 

Follow up.

Do you see any signs of improvement on the other side? Or you see it getting worse? Decide if a subsequent  follow-up conversation is required. Decide if it will have any effect on your image?

Choose if you need to keep on going up against the troublesome individual without anyone’s help. Decide if you still want to confront the annoying individual all alone by yourself. Try to know if other colleagues are in your support or not.

If you find that you still want to make peace, hold another discussion. If not, move on to the next idea of involving your  senior  manager.

Look for The  Change.

Sometimes, irrespective of how hard  you seek to fix a problem, a employee can never alter his or her way. But their behaviour should not come in the way of your happiness and success. You have to know whether the positive qualities in your present circumstance outweigh your troubles or vice versa.

It will be best to move on and start looking for other opportunities if it doesn't seem to be changing. Even though leaving your recognisable work environment  may be upsetting, when you sink into another condition away from that negative conduct, you're sure to feel much better.

Well  to CONCLUDE   --  It is advisable to  keep in mind that no one wants to work with Difficult Employees, yet every workplace has them. If left to their  own devices, difficult employees can sap morale, distract focus, and create a huge drain on team productivity. They can even create a hostile work environment, which isn’t good for anyone. As a  Manager,  NOW  it will be up to you to take your leadership role seriously and learn how to deal with difficult employees promptly and decisively. 

Being a manager may mean having a direct conversation with the employee where you discuss your concerns. You may work together to formulate a plan that allows the employee to address the concerns and correct poor behaviour or performance. Then comes the hardest part , tracking the problem employee’s progress and making a timely decision about whether to retain the employee or let him go. 

As a Manager, you must act in the best interest of the organisation and the rest of the team. In learning how to deal with difficult employees, your primary objective should be to create a happy and supportive workplace that fosters creativity and productivity. In some cases, dismissing a difficult employee is a necessary step towards bringing the workplace back in balance, but certainly not in every situation.

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Sources – Jitendrasxnblogs / site has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, related books and journals. We always avoid using inauthentic references.

https://www.insperity.com

https://www.shrm.org

https://www.freshbooks.com

https://en.wikipedia.org

Disclaimer –

This article / blog is for information purpose only, but by no means it is a complete and exhaustive explanation on the whole topic, nor it’s intended as a substitute for therapy.