We feel irritated, and the situation seems hopeless. However, great leaders know that the best way to deal with this situation is to become extra attentive. They make an effort to develop the clearest possible understanding of the situation — this includes understanding the point of view of the difficult employee.
This is typically the first step towards improving the situation. In fact, in several cases, you can resolve the problem in itself simply by listening and paying attention. The difficult employee may even start behaving differently once they feel heard and acknowledged. Some managers spend months fretting about difficult employees without ever giving them actual behavioural feedback in a straightforward manner. Granted, giving tough and judicious feedback is one of the most uncomfortable things that you will have to do as a leader.
However, it is also one of the most critical skills that you must develop as a leader. Great leaders learn to do it well, and they are ready to do it if and when a situation calls for it. Remember that without your feedback, they are flying blind. Let the employee in question know what they need to do differently in order to correct their negative behaviour and therefore be more likely to succeed.
If worse comes to worst, you may not even be able to let the employee in question go because you will have no record of their unacceptable behaviour. Many managers do not document incidences of misconduct in the hopes that this will be an isolated incidence. Even if you are able to resolve the issue before it comes to suspension or termination, you can simply put the documentation back in the drawer.
As a general rule, if you have identified an under-miner on your team, in your department, or in your company, give them eight weeks to change their tune. This transgression raised red flags in the organisation, with the CEO himself contacting me, a month later, seeking for an apology email. Now, my insubordination was an act more in defiance towards curbing my right than being a wayward employee, but I clearly undermined the authority of the manager and for which I could have been fired.
What if you are a manager or a CEO who works with employees who undermine your authority without rhyme or reason? What do you do? This is when you should be prepared to take measures because if left unattended it becomes irrevocable. If you are a fan of Game of Thrones , you would have observed that all the kings, queens and the lords keep tooting their horns by introducing themselves by their rank. Well, you do not have to do it. Use them tough words judiciously. Get stories of change makers and innovators from the startup ecosystem in your inbox.
Please fill in this field. You have been successfully registered for our daily newsletter. You do not want to talk to your employee about problems with your mortgage, do you?
You can be that nice boss everyone keeps raving about and being friendly is perfectly fine, but do not strive to be friends with them. Once the employees see you as a friend, it will be difficult to get things done. Be careful in tread that line - of being friendly and showing interest in their personal lives. It is easier said than done. The other had none. The person with no power was obviously nervous and intimidated. That was obvious to the person with the power who then walked all over him in the negotiation.
Take a deep breath or several deep breaths and try to slow your breathing while dealing with the authority figure. As with sports and music, practice allows you to hone your skills and to be better prepared for the unexpected.
Use your listening skills to take in the information the other person is giving you, evaluate it, take a breath, and respond slowly, sticking to the issues without being unnecessarily defensive. In our work in IT, we deal with all types of people, including authority figures. Remember that people in authority positions need you. They need your knowledge, training, and experience in order to do their jobs more productively, efficiently, and creatively.
Approach your work with authority figures with confidence, knowing that you have something of great value to offer them. Enroll your team now in Compassionate Geek IT customer service training so they can work together, get things done, and take care of customers. Your email address will not be published. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
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