| "Working with people" is arguably the most | | | | manage "around" it. Remember, they don't |
| difficult aspect of a Manager's job. | | | | handle anger well. The more the Manager |
| | | | holds them accountable for their lapses, the |
| I once had a boss who, when hiring a Manager | | | | angrier they will become. They angrier they |
| would half jokingly tell the Staffing | | | | become the more likely they are to give the |
| Manager, "If they say they like working with | | | | Manager cause to formally address their |
| people, don't hire them!" She knew that | | | | behavior or conduct. Ultimately the employee |
| "working with people" is arguably the most | | | | may learn to save this behavior for other |
| difficult aspect of a Manager's job. Training | | | | unsuspecting soles and be more circumspect |
| prepares Managers to delegate, motivate, | | | | with the Manager. |
| influence, coach, communicate, recognize and | | | | |
| strategize. Often it does not prepare a | | | | The Victim |
| Manager for the difficult employee who is | | | | |
| resistant to most motivating, influencing, | | | | Never underestimate the power of |
| coaching, and recognition techniques. | | | | helplessness. To clarify, the "Victim" is not |
| | | | the good employee who has an occasional |
| The key to managing the difficult employee is | | | | personal problem that may interfere with |
| to decisively deal with their performance, | | | | work. The Victim is a problem employee who |
| behavior or attitude very early on. | | | | always has a "poor me" story and an |
| Unfortunately some organizations develop a | | | | interminable number of reasons why he or she |
| tolerance for negative behavior and | | | | must leave early, can't finish an assignment, |
| unwittingly reinforce it by ignoring it, | | | | can't meet a deadline, etc. "Can't is their |
| managing around it and hoping the problem | | | | modus operandi. Inevitably, some co-workers |
| employee soon quits or retires. | | | | will feel sorry for the Victim and pick up |
| | | | the slack while others, who are wise to the |
| Most employees will not cause a Manager's | | | | Victim's tactics, will sit and steam. A |
| hair to turn gray. But then, it only takes a | | | | chronic victim impacts the morale of the |
| few dillies to transform the darkest brunette | | | | entire workgroup. Those who "steam" want |
| to snow white. What makes an employee | | | | desperately for the Manager to intervene. |
| difficult? Usually, it is a problem in | | | | |
| performance, behavior or attitude. No | | | | To effectively manage the Victim, a Manager |
| surprise there, right? But what about the | | | | must first get the Victim's rescuers to stop |
| employee whose performance persistently "hugs | | | | "helping." It is easy to get lured into |
| the line?" And, what about "poor attitude" in | | | | feeling sorry for the Victim as their |
| an employee? The courts only care if an | | | | problems can be legitimate. But we all have |
| employee is performing his or her job and not | | | | problems and it is how we handle them that |
| about the "attitude" of an employee. So, | | | | determines whether we become victims for |
| what's a manager to do? | | | | victors. Deal with this employee by making a |
| | | | referral to the Employee Assistance Program. |
| First let's look at our "line hugger." You | | | | If you don't have one...get one. Some EAPs |
| know....the type that works hard at hardly | | | | even offer services on a case-by-case basis. |
| working. The barely marginal employee not | | | | |
| only hugs the line most of the year but | | | | When not talking about personal problems, the |
| confounds the Manager by raising the level of | | | | Victim is one who usually asks a lot of "why" |
| his or her performance sometime within the | | | | (or whine) questions. Such as: |
| last quarter of the performance review cycle. | | | | |
| As the Manager struggles to write the "line | | | | - Why is this happening to me? |
| hugger's" review, you can almost see the | | | | |
| natural hair color begin to fade. | | | | - Why do we have to go through all this |
| | | | change? |
| As with all poor performers, a Manager must | | | | |
| determine if the employee lacks the | | | | - Why did they hire her? |
| information, skill, or motivation to do the | | | | |
| job. A performance improvement plan (PIP) | | | | - Why doesn't he/she/they communicate better? |
| combined with regularly scheduled coaching | | | | |
| sessions will provide the answer. Generally | | | | - Why don't you give me more of your time? |
| speaking, a well written 60 day PIP that | | | | |
| includes specific tasks, objectives and | | | | Victims are excellent procrastinators and ask |
| deadlines accompanied by weekly coaching | | | | a lot of "when" questions such as: |
| sessions with the Manager will do the trick. | | | | |
| (Of course, Human Resources should be | | | | - When will you take care of this problem? |
| actively involved in this process.) | | | | |
| | | | - When will we get the information we need? |
| If the employee rises to the occasion it is a | | | | |
| win for the Manager in two ways. The | | | | - When will we get more resources? |
| employee has now demonstrated he or she can | | | | |
| do the job effectively. And, the Manager has | | | | A Manager needs to talk to a Victim in a way |
| the documentation to prove it. At the end of | | | | that puts responsibility back on the |
| the PIP period, a memo written to document | | | | employee. Start by countering with "how" and |
| the now "effective" performance needs to | | | | "when" questions that focus on action, such |
| include language that states the effective | | | | as: |
| level must be "sustained." If the employee | | | | |
| reverts to "hugging the line," the Manager | | | | - What have you done to help solve the |
| can now safely consider termination. During | | | | problem? |
| the PIP period, the weekly coaching sessions | | | | |
| will help the Manager determine if the | | | | - What are you doing that contributes to this |
| employee needs additional training in order | | | | problem? |
| to be more effective. The PIP period can | | | | |
| always be extended to allow time for further | | | | - What could you do to better understand each |
| development. | | | | person in the office? |
| | | | |
| Employees that really hasten the graying | | | | - What efforts have you made to adapt to |
| process are those who have a bad "attitude" | | | | change? |
| but acceptable performance. Is it possible to | | | | |
| have a bad attitude and good performance? It | | | | - What can you do right now to change this |
| is not only possible, but there are people | | | | situation? |
| whose entire being seems wrapped up in | | | | |
| maintaining these seemingly opposite values. | | | | - How can you achieve your goal with the |
| This type person will have a Manager reaching | | | | resources you already have? |
| for antacids on a regular basis. Can the hair | | | | |
| dye be far behind? | | | | - How can you do your job better today? |
| | | | |
| But maintaining good performance with a poor | | | | - What do you think you need to do in order |
| attitude is tricky. Even those who are good | | | | to contribute more to the team? |
| at it will slip every now and then. Here are | | | | |
| a few examples of how to handle some | | | | Using this tactic will frustrate the Victim |
| difficult types: | | | | and reinforce the expectation of |
| | | | accountability. The Victim will realize the |
| The Passive Aggressive/Passive Resistant | | | | gig is up and, in order to avoid a |
| Employee | | | | performance warning, shelve the avoidance |
| | | | tactics. However, because these tactics did |
| The passive-aggressive is the intentional | | | | work at one time, they are hard to give up. |
| bully and the passive resistant is the sneaky | | | | The Manager will have to remain vigilant and |
| bully. Both these types are people who do not | | | | ensure the workgroup doesn't revert to |
| or cannot deal with the feeling of anger. But | | | | "rescue" mode. |
| make no mistake. They are angry and will look | | | | |
| for opportunities to "stick it" to the | | | | The Injustice Collector |
| Manager or anyone else who has the nerve to | | | | |
| tick them off. | | | | There are people who are "right" and there |
| | | | are people to have to be right. Welcome to |
| For example, the passive-aggressive employee | | | | the "Injustice Collector." Injustice |
| assigned to a project he or she doesn't like | | | | collectors are always "wronged" but are never |
| will intentionally provide bad or poorly | | | | wrong. This employee would rather alienate |
| researched information, skip meetings, spread | | | | everyone than admit being wrong. To an |
| rumors, openly criticize the boss or refuse | | | | Injustice Collector, alienation is proof that |
| to accept the helpful suggestions of | | | | their superiority sets them apart from |
| co-workers. The sneaky bully will "yes" a | | | | everyone else. Since they can never be |
| Manager to death but seldom delivers on | | | | wrong, everybody else must be! This employee |
| promises. This bully will intentionally | | | | is an expert at putting people on the |
| "forget" commitments, be chronically late for | | | | defensive. Managing this employee can feel |
| meetings, miss deadlines, strategically call | | | | like being on trial every day of the week. |
| in sick on days critical to the Manager or | | | | Managers must resist the bait and not get |
| project, intentionally leave out data or | | | | drawn into a debate or get defensive with |
| information or find other ways to | | | | this type person. |
| "inadvertently" make a Manager look foolish. | | | | |
| | | | Blame is the modus operandi of the Injustice |
| Talking to the employee is always an option | | | | Collector. Blame is also a block to |
| but this type behavior is not likely to | | | | responsibility. The Manager can put the blame |
| change. These employees are very | | | | game into "check" by not entertaining a |
| manipulative. Managers need to understand | | | | debate and insisting on personal |
| that anger is the underlying emotion and not | | | | responsibility. This can be done by posing |
| be intimidated by the employee's behavior or | | | | questions similar to those listed above. |