Working with problematic employees
Most managers have dealt with a problematic employee at one time or another, but have we thought about our role in encouraging their behavior? Have we been upfront about the issues or have we grumbled about their actions behind their backs? Is the problem with the employee or with our management?
One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen in management is the failure to confront issues when they first occur. It’s easy to find excuses when concerns first arise: I’ll deal with it later or maybe they’re having a bad day or I’m too frustrated to talk to them now. These are all common thoughts.
But when we ignore a concern from the start, we may be setting up a habit or failing to clarify an expectation and that’s unfair to the employee.
There’s rarely a reason to be truly frustrated at this initial encounter. We could make lives much easier by simply stepping in and asking some questions: Can you explain why you did things that way? What outcome were you looking for? Did you have the resources you needed? Any of these questions could lead to revelations that could resolve future issues.
Maybe they misunderstood the direction or needed more training. Maybe they didn’t have all the tools or resources they needed. Maybe they discovered a new way of doing things that should be explored.
If we ask in the moment, they’ll better remember why they took the actions they did as opposed to asking days or even weeks later when the memory is faded. And then we can make better focused plans to help them in moving forward or even learn something new for ourselves.
If you’ve worked closely with an employee having performance issues and they continue to make mistakes or can’t seem to follow instructions or fail to follow policies, then it’s very likely they’re not in the right position and may need to leave. But if you’ve made clear their accountabilities and expectations and the problems persist, it shouldn’t be a surprise and hopefully will lead them to something more suitable going forward.
Step in immediately if something seems amiss; that’s best for everyone as a way to turn around a potentially problematic situation.
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