5 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Employees

By: Jennifer Leahy
September 12th, 2011

It seems there’s one in every office. That one person who doesn’t really seem to like anything or anyone.

Perpetually pessimistic people can be tough to handle, especially in a work environment. For managers, difficult employees create issues.

“Managers need to understand that it’s not just a problem between you and that employee. It’s affecting everyone else,” says Kim E. Ruyle, PhD, vice president of research and development, Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting.

Even though dealing with “problem employees” isn’t a favorite task for most managers, it’s part of the job. Here are certain guidelines that can help you handle the situation in a more diplomatic way.

• Don’t ignore the problem. It won’t just go away. Few people enjoy confrontation. But allowing a difficult employee to have free reign to wreak havoc on your workplace is bad for business. Their bad attitude can lower the morale and productivity of your other employees. Speak with the employee about the problem as soon as it is evident, before it gets out of hand.
• De-personalize the conversation. Don’t open with a statement such as, “You are negative.” Instead give concrete examples, such as, “During yesterday’s meeting I noticed that you were not participating and even rolled your eyes while a co-worker was speaking.” Succinctly and factually state the offensive behaviors and impact that they are having on the team. Avoid generalities such as “not a team player,” and offer specific instances that were offensive.
• Research the situation. Open a dialogue with the person in a private setting and ascertain if they’re aware of their behavior. Also determine if perhaps there are external, personal factors impacting their actions. The employee’s personal life may be in turmoil and they may not be aware that it is negatively impacting their work.
• Keep it professional. Remembering that you have a business, not a personal relationship with the person, can help keep things professional and polite. The employee was hired for a certain skill set to perform a certain task, not to become a friend.“You can’t put value judgments on personality,” says Ruyle.
• Suggest improvements. It is naïve and unrealistic to expect that all co-workers will truly like and appreciate each other. It’s not, however, unrealistic to expect a courteous and productive work environment. Remind the employee that a part of their job performance is measured by how well they contribute to the team’s success.“Don’t skirt the issue,” says Ruyle.He advocates frank conversation.“You can say ‘You don’t need to like me. I don’t need to like you. But we do have to work together.’ And then open up a conversation about how,” he says.

Negativity and lack of productivity can be corrosive to any work environment. While it may be human nature to want to diffuse conflict and hope that a situation will resolve itself, ignoring the actions of a difficult employee can harm your business.

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