Difficult employees come in many forms. They might be complainers, they can be negative and blame others, or be arrogant know-it-alls. They might be argumentative, bullies or even isolationist – but one thing all these personalities have in common is the burden they place on other staff.
More than half of working Canadians experience anxiety, irritability with co-workers, defensiveness, anger, mood swings and feelings of helplessness or of being trapped in work, according to the Resolution Skills Centre, based in Winnipeg.
“The number one challenge for leaders is not typically the business issue, it’s the people problems,” says Jeff Mowatt, a customer service strategist, professional speaker and author based in Calgary who specializes in improving employee behaviour.
Rhonda Scharf of On the Right Track Training and Consulting in Ottawa notes that labelling an employee “difficult” isn’t a matter of someone having a bad day.
“It becomes a problem when someone is continually and chronically getting in the way of you living your life or doing your job effectively,” says Ms. Scharf, a certified professional speaker. “They’re the squeaky wheel in everything you do … and those who are like that continually and chronically can really kill an organization.”
While the number of difficult people in a workplace is usually small, she says, the figures are rising.
“When you look at the statistics of harassment and bullying in the workplace, the number of lawsuits, stress cases … they are going up. It’s because our society has changed. People have less respect than they used to – look at road rage. A lot of it has to do with the way we communicate – some people can get really rough on e-mail and voice mail. And look at TV, like Gordon Ramsay on Hell’s Kitchen, and other reality shows. … People think it’s okay to talk to people like that.”
But all is not lost – managers and supervisors can avoid conflict and instead turn it into positive change:
Hire the right staff: When it comes to a customer service job, “hire attitude over aptitude,” says Mr. Mowatt. In the interview, ask “How are you?” Do they complain about being tired or tell long stories about themselves, or do they say something positive and, in turn, ask the interviewer how he or she is? “All those answers will tell you if they are upbeat and focused on others,” he says.
Keep the job interesting: Engaging staff and instilling teamwork can help motivate a difficult employee, Mr. Mowatt says, and keep co-workers less focused on the problem person and more on the common goal.
Charlene Guenter, co-ordinator of the Resolution Skills Centre, says: “A lot of time we find people are difficult because they aren’t feeling they are part of things. In the end, the goal is to keep your employees and find ways to work with them and keep them engaged.”
Do everything by the book: Ensure your organization has a policies that cover its expectations of employees in areas such as code of conduct, ethics, workplace violence, sexual harassment and use of company equipment and property. “Conflict resolution processes should also be part of your policy manuals so people understand” what happens if policies are contravened, says Ms. Guenter.
Attack problems quickly: Early intervention will help prevent an issue from becoming widespread and causing damage. Supervisors who wait too long before taking action may become frustrated and “less open to hearing your employee’s side without being punitive,” says Ms. Guenter. If problems aren’t addressed swiftly, the employee may take it to mean it’s acceptable – which can work against an organization in any wrongful dismissal suit.
