Managing the Unmanageable- Your Guide to Dealing with Difficult Employees * Incedo Group

Managing the Unmanageable- Your Guide to Dealing with Difficult Employees

Don’t you just hate it when someone whose qualifications and personality have impressed you during the interview, can turn out to be a constant source of headache? Not all difficult employees are bad people; sometimes they just become difficult because it worked for them in the past.

Managing difficult employees is hard; it could make you doubt your management skills and even your belief in yourself. In some ways, dealing with these people is like tending to children. When a child starts to cry, the parents give in to whatever it wants. It’s the same with employees who walk out or shout when things don’t happen as he planned; people will start trying to appease him.

Types of Difficult Employees

Difficult employees are everywhere, whether you’re in a start up business or a huge multinational company. These people have different attitudes, and they’re difficult in their own ways. Here’s a look at the three most annoying characters in the workplace, and tips on how you can turn them around.

1. Drama Kings and Drama Queens- As the name suggests, these people are overly dramatic. They can become emotional with the slightest remark. Employees like this draw energy from being dramatic, as unlikely as that may sound, while draining the patience and energy of their peers.

Solution: Set a limit for how much negativity you can tolerate at the office. If the behavior starts affecting everyone, then it’s time to talk to the person concerned. Tell him directly that his behavior is jeopardizing the work of other people.

2. The Rebel- These workers get attention from disobeying their superiors and blatantly making other people feel uncomfortable.

Solution: Switch their focus to something, or someone they can’t easily cross. For instance, rebel cubicle workers often do well in front-line customer service, as they have the ability to take on the system and do everything just to get things done. They can’t do anything to annoy customers without losing their job, so instead they will direct their energy to helping them.

3. The Sleeping Volcano- You may not know it, but you may have one or two difficult employees like this in your office. These people look and act normal, but they explode when something goes wrong. They scream at other people, customers and on the phone. One moment they’re all nice, and then suddenly they’re getting to your nerves. While there’s a probability that they might apologize, your whole team may end up feeling awkward, thus ruining the team’s momentum and camaraderie.

Solution: Be the boss. Raise your voice if you have to, because otherwise you won’t be noticed because of this person’s sudden outrage. Ask to speak to the person in private, and if that doesn’t work, leave the person alone to cool down and realize his mistake. Let him know that you will not tolerate any more outbursts. Remember, difficult employees will continue just as they are unless you tell them not to.