© Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series Welcome to: Working with Difficult Employees Class #7 Beverly Collins Parnell Tacoma Community College

Today’s Agenda  Update from HR  Coaching Wrap-up  The GREAT Approach to Working with Difficult Employees  Next week: March 10 th -make up snow day, Finals, Celebration & Graduation © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

3  EDPR (Employee Development and Performance Review) –Coaching –Mentoring –Training –Historical perspective  Progressive Discipline (Contact Human Resources) –Verbal warning –Letter of reprimand –Suspension –Demotion –Dismissal

GREAT Approach  G oals  R oles  E xpectations  A bilities  T ime © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Goals  Set goals for the relationship  Discuss how the other person’s job fits the current department/team/city goals  Any new goals you want to set? © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Roles  The question here is how you want to define the roles between yourself and the other person  Is there role conflict? –Use behavioral language to describe the ideal Be sure it is measurable & observable © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Expectations  To get what you want, you must first make clear what you want © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Abilities  Employee problems come in 3 varieties –Don’t Know Solution: Tell them clearly, get feedback –Can’t Do Solution: Training, possible job resdeisgn, better tools to do the job, reassignment –Won’t Do Discover the reason (are we rewarding, ignoring or correcting the wrong things?) © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Time  What is your timetable for improvement or completion of the goal? © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Five Steps for Effective Corrective Feedback  Define the problem in behavioral terms  Relate the impact and your feelings  Ask—then listen for the real problem  Work out a win/win change  Focus on the positive elements of the relationship © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Developing a Survival Plan  Diagnose the situation in behavioral terms  Recognize and deal with your contributions to the problem  Face the problem head on (communicate!)  Make a plan  Decide what to do if the plan doesn’t work © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Decide What to Do if the Plan Doesn’t Work  Review the results  Provide clear & consistent supervision  Work on the interpersonal issues  Get formal if needed © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Supervisory Stress & Bearing the Burden  Results from Many Factors: –Feelings of separation –Supporting management decisions you may disagree with –Feelings that you can’t be candid – Being “stuck” in the middle –Sense of being disliked or resented because of the position you hold © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

What Can You Do?  Q-TIP  List your role benefits (why you enjoy supervision?)  Manage your stress effectively  Measure your problems  Talk with someone trustworthy  Work on your skills  Care about people and work © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Team Challenge  What does GREAT stand for?  What are 2 causes of supervisory stress?  What are 2 things to lessen the emotional burden & stress of supervision? © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series

Small Group Activity: Supervisory Nightmares  Each small group is assigned a “nightmare” –Teams have minutes to: Read their ‘nightmare’ Complete the planning worksheets Summarize the key points Create a ‘poster session’ about their team’s nightmare Prepare a 5-7 minute overview to share with the class, including a case example along with the poster © Handling the Difficult Employee, Crisp Fifty-Minute Series