Dealing with the difficult employee

Anyone who has been in the management profession for some length of time would have doubtless come across one or more difficult employees in the course of his or her career. They come in every size and shape and are adept at increasing the stress level of their manager.

Who are these difficult employees? A simple definition may be an employee with whom the manager is having an ongoing challenge, a kind of running battle. The challenge may be in the area of work skills, interpersonal skills, knowledge, attitude, aptitude, and so on.

In today's business world, productivity is a critical criterion of success for managers. And anyone who stands in the way of achieving that success also stands in the way of the happiness and future of his manager. But why are these employees behaving like this? Is it intentional or is it something else?

Unfortunately, some of the behaviour is indeed intentional. However, they are only few and far between. The majority of such challenges exist with employees, who by intention do not want to create any problem for their manager.

They are either unaware of the consequences of their actions (or inactions) or are simply unable to come up to the expectations of their manager. They are just like anyone else with some drawbacks, faults, and frailties; except that more often such shortcomings cause and create challenges.

Such difficult employees might be divided into two broad categories depending upon whether the difficulty is based on their aptitude or attitude. There are employees who are unable (aptitude) to perform, and there are employees who are unwilling (attitude) to perform. The problem is related to the element of competence or to the element of cooperation displayed by the employees.

Most people around us are pretty decent. Of course, some are a little aggressive; some are a little cold and hoarse; some are a little rough, rude, and crude. But usually such traits are only skin-deep.

Given a little patience and perseverance, it is easy to penetrate into their basic character and personality and win their loyalty and allegiance; which is of course subject to the rider that knowledge of their oddities and idiosyncrasies is imperative for such an intervention.

It is essential to examine the environment around the employee in order to understand if there are any contextual or circumstantial factors that may be contributing to the counterproductive conduct of the employee.

The process of investigation must also include a self-analysis by the manager to ensure that there is nothing negative about his own personality that may be triggering a boomerang effect. It is amazing how often “difficult-employee” situations arise on account of managerial incompetence and inconsiderate company policies.

The focus must be on solving the problem, instead of merely masking the symptoms. Like the doctor treating a patient suffering from sore throat may not only suggest lozenges as a palliative, but also proceed with a detailed diagnosis to unravel the root of the malady.

While the manager may have pretty clear expectations of what he wants from his employees, it is equally important that he is always aware of what his employees expect from him.

A senior executive, for instance, may expect an office with a window, a nice desk, a comfortable chair and a coffee-table. A mine operator working a mile below the surface, on the other hand, will need emergency oxygen on call, technologically the most sophisticated equipment, plenty of cold water, and so on.

But are there any expectations common to all employees? Are there any general guidelines for a manager to be self-assured that he is on the right track? Yes, there are four rules; and they are the basic and fundamental postulates for people management.

The first rule is the imperative need for clear and accurate instructions that a manager must give to his employees. The more clarity that an employee has about his role and responsibilities, the better will be his performance on the job.

Second, appreciation of good performance, which is best done in front of other employees. Conversely, any correction or criticism must be done face-to-face and in privacy.

Next, respecting the ability of an employee, irrespective of his rank, position, and power. Human dignity is a common factor and a person's fundamental right. Most employees will have no issues in complying with even tough taskmasters as long as they are recognised for their ability and work.

Last but not least, provision of appropriate tools for the job. Intellectual tools are as important as physical tools. Training and skill development of employees is a mandatory responsibility of management.

These factors are the backbone of successful team leadership. They comprise the minimum inputs that an employee expects from his manager. Indeed, these rules appear to be so simple and sheer common sense that the majority of managers tend to believe and live under the illusion that they follow them faithfully while, in fact, they do not. These principles require a conscious application of mind and assiduous practice such that they become second nature to managers.

(The writer, a former HR director of a well-known auto components group, is a management consultant.)