The success of a company relies heavily on its employees. Companies can only survive and operate smoothly if the company goals complement the goals and motivations of the people working in it. It is therefore important for company managers to profile individual motivations of each team member, and formulate ways keep these motivations high, especially when dealing with difficult employees.
Difficult employees have a reason why they are that way, and often don’t recognize themselves as difficult. It’s all about learning how to deal with each employee. Here we will discuss several personality types, what motivates each type, and what managers could do to improve their performance.
Jet-setters
Jet-setters are power players. They are career-oriented and usually work hard, as long as they are given the treatment they expect. Their primary motivation is climbing the corporate ladder. Accomplishments are a big deal for them, so give them credit when it’s due. However, their free spirit makes them difficult employees for authoritarian company managers.
Managers should deal with jetsetters with utmost care. You can trust them with the most complicated tasks, but make sure that you are ready with praise and compliments. Though these people tend to be workaholics, jet-setters become difficult employees when they start feeling underappreciated and unwanted in the workplace. Constant communication helps improve their performance. Managers need to focus on how to value the opinions of this type of employee and let them feel that what they say, counts.
Challenge jet-setters by giving them difficult tasks that you know they would like to do. Harness their productivity by assigning them to key roles and positions. Occasional rewards and bonuses would also go a long way.
Team players
These employees love working in big groups. Their motivation for work relies mainly on social relations, friendship, and relationships they develop at work. Unlike jet-setters, team players want collective achievement, and go a long way to help co-workers.
Team players become difficult employees when they are assigned to work with people who are not good in a team environment. They want to be solo contributors and tend to be perfectionists, and they easily get stressed when people in the group can’t agree with each other.
To ensure that team players work well, managers should ensure that they are surrounded by the right people. Group them together with other team players and a jet-setter, and you’ll have a dream team. Team players can also accept criticism easily, so don’t hesitate to point out mistakes and show room for improvement.
Team players function best when they are given tasks to accomplish as a group.
Drifters
Drifters are a manager’s nightmare. They usually are the most difficult employees, and their motivation is mainly anchored on salaries. It’s easy to spot drifters in meetings and gatherings. They are the most silent, and only voice their opinions when prodded- or if it’s something to do with their benefits and remuneration.
Drifters go with the flow, you give them what to do, and they’ll do it. However, as their motivation mainly revolves around job security and monetary remunerations, they easily get discouraged and start hating their jobs early. You can’t increase their salary every month to keep them motivated, right? When the excitement of the new job wears off, they turn into the most difficult employees and start calling sick and miss deadlines.
Managers can help drifters by emphasizing the importance of their work. Pep talks can sometimes help change their perspective about their jobs. Make these difficult employees feel important and more engaged in the workplace by giving them more responsibility, and letting them know that you trust them.
Download Functioning Together: Having the Right People on the Team and learn how to identify who is the best fit with the rest of the team.
