Working with the Difficult Employee Managing conflict in the Workplace

What words can you use to describe a difficult employee? Chronic complainer Negative about everything Takes offense and everything Others try to avoid him. Doesn’t take direction Always has an excuse Makes too many mistakes Comes in looking hung over Bad fit for the job Disappears

When allowed to continue Difficult employees are a sign of ineffective management on some level. Somewhere along the way, a manager. . . . . . doesn’t feel supported if they intervene . . . may not know the company policy . . . doesn’t know the chain of command or have its support. . . . didn’t receive the training they needed to do the job effectively. . . . may not have a standard documentation tool

Different shifts/depts. also have a “culture” Problems may appear on one shift that don’t on others Problem employees may exist on one shift that don’t exist on others. Work quality/productivity may be worse on some shifts but not on others. When allowed to continue others get demoralized

Some managers make excuses for an employees lax work She’s been having problems at home. He just got divorced. She’s having problems with her son. He’s been depressed lately; we’re hoping he’ll snap out of it. It’s not that big a deal; just ignore it.

Some get special treatment because they’re good at their job “Yes he’s a pain in the rear, but he’s been here so long no one knows the job better.” “She’s productive, who cares if she’s rude to everyone.” “Yes, he comes in late and sometimes hung over, but he’s been here 20 years and can fix anything.”

Correction begins with management buy in

Two very good books on the subject

The chair you sit in tells you who you are and who you are not

The chair has it’s own identity Your chair is occupied by a “manager.” Management has more to do with how you think about your job than anything else. It tells you who you are, but more importantly it tells you who you’re not. What are some items on that list? First – Who you are. Next – Who you’re not!

What managers are Examples They do things right, and they do the right thing. Able to recognize trends and respond. Managers make decisions! It’s what they were hired to do. Managers think “we,” not “I.” They understand they’re part of something bigger Know their company, its history, and its policies. Understand that, while they may like everyone, they have few peers at work.

What managers are not Therapists Even though they’re understanding. Best friends Even though they may know and like people under them. Administrative equals Even if they were promoted from the line and once worked with whom they now oversee.

Techniques dealing with difficult employees

Rule #1 Stay in Your Own Backyard!

Don’t leave it for any reason Inside your backyard are one set of the items we discussed. Who you are. Inside your yard you prefer the understanding of others but you don’t require it. That fence tells you where you stop and the other person begins. In your yard you explain to YOUR satisfaction, not necessarily the other person’s

Rule #2: Document Every organization should have a standardized incident reporting documentation tool. It should contain objective, not interpretive data. Relevant staff should be trained on its use ideally using role plays and/or videos. If no tool exists, develop one. Pen and notepad are usable, but information should be moved to standardized forms. The document does not contain hearsay. While other’s may have brought things to your attention, and while they may have filled out the form, you act on what you directly witness.

Rule #2 – cont. Lets look at the example I provided, used by permission of the company who developed it during one of my trainings.

Rule #3: Decide what to do You want to have made your decision (or range of decisions) prior to meeting with the employee You may want to have more than one possible response, but limit yourself to what’s acceptable to you.

Rule #4: Meet Privately The most common definition of the word “secret” Something you tell one person at a time. These situations are difficult for everyone and respect dictates you do you work in private, perhaps with another manger present. But the information is never shared.

Rule #5 – Start with the Conclusion “George, I’m directing you to take a reasonable suspicion drug test.” “Alice, you’ve yelled at people and used profanity five times in the last week. We are correcting that situation today.” OK, the bad news is now out. Now you can turn to your documentation to validate what you’ve just said and proceed.

Rule #6: It’s Not a Discussion While the interaction must be respectful on your part, and while the employee will want to know more and likely protest, you’ve made your position clear. It’s not a discussion, it’s a decision. Never raise your voice. It’s disrespectful It shows you’re not sure of yourself. It escalates the tension.

Rule #7: Document for the employee and Schedule a Follow-up Summarize the main points and the conclusion. Use the 2nd paragraph to encourage the employee. Note the time/date of the follow-up meeting and what is expected by that time.

Example: To: Dennis Mitchell From: Martha Wilson, RN Thank you for your time in meeting with me earlier today. We discussed the issue of you being late arriving for your shift. I presented documentation of your arrival times and provided you with a copy. You have been a good and valuable employee of this company and we are grateful for your service. Your correcting this error assures we have a productive future together. I have scheduled a meeting for us in two weeks, from today at 10:00 AM in my office. At that time we’ll review your timeliness during that period.

Summary