Don’t Ignore, Involve

“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That's the message he is sending.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

Have you ever had to deal with “difficult” employees? They might be unwilling to change their ways, aggravate the situation, or cause difficulties for the rest of the team. But they might just be misunderstood as well.

Luckily, employee behaviors can be changed when leaders take proactive action to confront them.

What happens when difficult employees aren’t confronted?

When some employees continue engaging in behaviors that aren’t conducive to their professional growth or the team’s, they contribute to the detriment of overall work performance. They may affect the organization by:

1.?????causing poor decision-making.

2.?????disrupting team cohesion.

3.?????reducing group morale.

4.?????leading to poor performance.

5.?????damaging reputation.

These are more than enough reasons to confront the employee and express concerns over their behavior.

What matters most here though is how it is done. When done right, the employee should have the motivation to align their behaviors with the set expectations.

The following can be considered when dealing with a difficult employee.

Critique without assumptions

Having to bring an employee’s harmful behaviors to notice can be a daunting process. It may even seem insensitive if not done carefully.

Leaders must ensure that when concerns are brought up, the reasons behind the behaviors aren’t assumed.

There may be several reasons that could cause this to happen, so assuming why an employee might consistently act a certain way may be more harmful.

Instead, leaders should focus on understanding the employee’s perspective.

Clearly express why certain behaviors are intolerable

Waiting for an employee to improve or change themselves is purely wishful thinking if their behavior is consistently inappropriate.?

The best course of action would be to explain to them why their behavior may be unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. Sometimes, providing a clear understanding of why and how some behaviors can be harmful may help the employee gain knowledge of the consequences of their actions.

Explaining why their behavior may be harmful would also ensure that the employee doesn’t perceive it as a personal attack or hatred toward them.

Come up with a solution along with the employee

Once you lay out the issue in front of the employee, allow them to explain their reasons. Set an agenda at the end of the conversation to find a definitive resolution.

Both the leader and the employee should be able to review and apply the solution together to resolve the issue.

Follow up with the employee

Following up with the employee after a set timeline helps in better monitoring the progress that they make. If they are able to perform better after being provided with adequate support and mentorship, organizations may be able to expect better returns.

However, if the employee is unable to change their ways, it has to be acknowledged that perhaps not all employees will be able to meet the set expectations. In this case, dismissal from the organization may be the only option for leaders.

Many times, acknowledging the problems of difficult employees can incentivize them to strive for improvement. When dealing with empathy and understanding, leaders can enable employees to perform better.?