Managing difficult employees is a skill that can take years to develop. Managers should remember that problem staff can be managed – either to improve behaviour and performance, or by exiting them from the business. Here’s how:
1. Listen. I find that often, when an employee is a problem, managers stop paying attention to what’s actually going on. The best way to improve the situation is to get the clearest possible understanding of the situation. There may be other things going on in that employee’s life or in your business that you are not aware of.
2. Behavioural feedback. Most managers will spend months, even years, complaining about a poor employee and not ever give them feedback about what they need to do differently. Giving feedback is one of the most uncomfortable things a manager has to do. But great managers learn how to give feedback so the employee has the specific information they need to improve.
3. Document. Whenever you’re having problems with an employee, write down the key points. I’ve had managers tell me that they couldn’t let a difficult employee go because they had no record of their bad behaviour. Trust me, if you need to start a more formal process later on, you will certainly wish you had one.
4. Be consistent. If you say you’re not OK with a behaviour, don’t sometimes let it pass. Staff look to what you do more than what you say. You can’t favour one employee over another.
5. Set consequences. This can be done in several ways; either in an informal way, where you explain what your expectations are (remember employees are not telepathic), or go down a performance development plan route. This can work really well for lots of employees and can be a win-win situation.
6. Think process. Make sure you have dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s. This links to getting things documented. You need to be aware of any processes you have in place and that they are followed. If you end up in a tribunal, your process, or lack of it, will be compared to the ACAS code of best practice.
7. Be courageous. Firing someone is the hardest thing a manager has to do. If it gets to that point, do it right. Don’t make excuses, don’t put it off, don’t make someone else do it. It’s not doing your business any good.
