Managing difficult employees – Part 2

We continue from where we left last week on techniques that you can use to manage difficult employees. We already looked at four of the techniques that you can use: coaching them, framing them, micro-managing them, re-calibrate their positioning. Today, we continue looking at the additional techniques that you can use to manage difficult employees.

Give them another chance: In whatever you do with the difficult employee, remember to be reasonable, empathetic and patient. As a boss, work like a father or mother towards your employees. When you demonstrate care and empathy to your employees, even the difficult ones get disarmed.

Train them: In some cases you may find that the coaching that you provide does not work–either it is not adequate or not the suitable solution. Some specific causes of the difficulty you will experience from your team member may require that you send the difficult team member on a training programme that directly addresses the shortfall.

Give them extra challenge: Some employees will become difficult simply because the work they do is either boring to them or not challenging enough. This could be because the work is too repetitive in nature or not adequate in amount. You need to figure this out and find an appropriate solution for it.

Use secondment or exposure: You may have a staff member that had great potential and may have even started as a great performer who was reliable but lost esteem along the way. Another scenario may be where your staff member has simply outgrown his or her current position and you do not have options at hand in your organisation to motivate the staff member further. In such situations, consider secondment or other opportunities that may give your staff member chance for exposure.

Last resort – separation: If you try a few techniques and the staff member is not showing any signs of improving at all and no interest to change, then you may be left with no option but to initiate separation process. Do not do that alone. Talk to your human resource (HR) department. You do not need to get emotional or engaged too much with your personal ego. Remain as open, objective and professional as possible. You are dealing with human beings and people’s lives here, so be empathetic, patient and caring. n