Dealing with Difficult Employees

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Dealing with Difficult Employees

• Cal Poly Pomona - Employee Relations
• October 2006

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Focus of this Discussion

• Performance Management How we do business
• Common errors, mistakes, and missteps
• Preparing for the discussion
• Talking to your employee
• Tough Situations What are they?
• Respond, dont react!
• Understanding emotions
• Set yourself up for success!

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Performance Management How We Do Business

• To guide employees toward best performance
  practices
• To help employees understand and achieve
  established work performance expectations
• To build solid working relationships
• Performance Management Improves Performance and
  Benefits Everyone!

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Performance Management

• Communicating Your Departments Mission
• Each employee plays a part in achieving the
  mission
• Through task performance, communication, and
  skills utilization
• Their development, as well as performance, is a
  continuous process, requiring on-going feedback.
• Do not wait for the annual performance evaluation
  to give feedback. It should NOT be the only
  communication the employee receives about their
  performance or contributions.

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Not-So-Great Moments Part 1
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Performance Management

• Common Errors, Mistakes, or Missteps
• Avoidance You do nothing, perhaps hoping it
  will go away or resolve itself, but the behavior
  continues.
• Procrastination You intend to get around to it,
  but you dont. Time slips away and dealing with
  it is no longer timely, or the problem has gotten
  worse.
• You dont know what to do in a union environment
  afraid to look silly, so you dont ask.

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Performance Management

• Common Errors, Mistakes, or Missteps Cont.
• Youre concerned that you will rock the boat or
  that it is the way things have always been
• You hope the Lead will deal with it, but youre
  the manager!
• Its conflict and it could get ugly.
• Why cant people just do their job
• Procrastination
• Knowing where you can go wrong will help you
  avoid the pitfalls

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Preparing for the Discussion

• Be prepared to LISTEN!
• Focus on the actual job performance and/or
  behaviorsstick to the facts and what you know
  (avoid rumors or hearsay, verify facts before you
  meet)
• Identify and prepare enough time to focus on the
  positive attributes of the employees performance
• Identify and be ready to discuss the next steps
  in employee development, whether remedial steps,
  goals, or growth-type activities
• If goals, development, or improvement actions
  were identified previously, be prepared to
  discuss progress
• You and your employee are invested in the
  organization. Make the investment work for both
  of you!

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Not-So-Great Moments Part 2
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Talking to Your Employee

• Tell the truth, in a respectful but direct
  manner.
• Remember to focus on the actual job-related
  issues and behavior based on data, or what you
  know.
• Do not attack the employees character under ANY
  circumstances. Always maintain mutual respect.
• For each issue, solicit the employees ideas
  about how to adjust and improvebut also have a
  plan of your own.
• Ensure you communicate clearly what the
  expectations are, what the employee needs to do,
  specify timeframe, how it will be measured and
  how you will support/aid the effort.
• The most effective improvement plans are those in
  whichboth the supervisor and employee share
  ownership.

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When it Gets HotRespond, Dont React

• Lack of accountability or denial
• Lack of accountability or denial takes many
  forms I should not be expected to do that,
  Well, Im better than so-and-so, I didnt get
  trained well, among other excuses
• Keep the focus on the employee and department
  requirements, and keep returning the ball to
  their court.

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When it Gets HotRespond, Dont React

• The answers to each of the denial statements on
  the previous slide are
• I have made clear what the department
  expectations are, and you are expected to comply
  with them.
• You are being evaluated based on the
  classification standards for your position and
  your performance, and not against other employees
• If you believe you are not adequately trained to
  perform a task, you can always come to me and
  express your concern.

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When it Gets HotRespond, Dont React

• The Angry Employee Blames or Attacks
• Stay Focused
• Do Not Let It Get Personal
• Refer Discussion Back to the Facts
• Remind the employee that you have a plan for the
  employee to improve
• The Disagreeable Employee Argumentative
• Disagreeing can be healthy respect differences
  of opinion, but stay on Topic
• Disrespecting you is NOT healthy. IF the
  conversation gets ugly stay calm and focused,
  but firmly let the employee know that
  unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

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When it Gets HotRespond, Dont React

• The Whiner - Finds fault in Everything
• Listen, acknowledge, paraphrase
• Avoid accusation-defense-accusation
• Ask specific Qs
• Engage them in possible Solutions
• The Pessimist - It wont work
• Dont Offer Solutions until the Problem has been
  thoroughly discussed
• When Discussing alternatives, Ask Qs
• Be Prepared to Give Clear and Specific
  Instructions

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When it Gets HotRespond, Dont React

• The Know-It-All The expert on everything
• Listen Paraphrase
• Do your homework they want answers
• Dont challenge their expertise
• Dont over-generalize
• Watch out for your own know-it-all responses
• The Bomb Loses control temper tantrums
• Allow venting, but move to problem-solving
• Set respectful boundaries
• Show that you take them and their concerns
  seriously
• Use active listening

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When it Gets HotRespond, Dont React

• The Clam No reply, grunts, just Yes or No
• Ask Open-Ended Qs
• Wait for response dont fill the silence
• Comment on whats happening in the interaction
• Be patient
• Allow plenty of time
• The Dawdler Indecisive, stalls, procrastinates
• Listen for issues-engage them in problem-solving
• Dont take on their problems yourself
• Concentrate on examining the facts
• Give support for any decision they offer
• Clarify whos responsible for what

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Understanding Emotions

• Recognize that people have different
  motivations, needs, styles, fears
• Anger Control
• Understand that stress and fear lead to anger
• He who angers me controls me
• We cannot be in control when angry
• He whos in control wins
• Mutual Respect
• If people perceive that others do not respect
  them, the conversation becomes unsafe and ends
• Watch for defensiveness, highly charged, fear
  turns to anger, pouting, name-calling, yelling,
  and threats.
• Do others believe that you respect them?

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Much Better Moments Between You and Your
Employees!
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For Helpful Assistance, Contact
Angie Hernandez, Manager, Employee Relations
Ext. 5392 arhernandez_at_csupomona.edu UPal
King, Lead Employee Relations Coordinator Ext.
3729 urking_at_csupomona.edu Nolan Dyo, Employee
Relations Assistant Ext. 5391
nidyo_at_csupomona.edu Ann Overman-Scott, Director,
Human Resources Ext. 4987 overmanscott_at_csupomo
na.edu