Leading Difficult Employees: Tips for Handling Them Correctly

Every team has employees with different personalities, and not all of them integrate smoothly into the group. Some employees can be a real burden for the team due to their behavior. For managers, it is essential to identify problematic behavioral patterns early on. We will show you which behaviors may indicate difficult employee types and give you tips on how to deal with them.

Identifying Difficult Employee Types

Difficult employees are characterized by behaviors that can significantly hinder daily work and teamwork. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize typical misconduct early on so you, as a manager, can address it.

Common behaviors of difficult employees:

• Unreliability: An unreliable employee may frequently be late to work or meetings and fails to meet deadlines or agreements.

• Refusal to Work: Another difficult employee type refuses tasks. This could be due to a lack of motivation, disinterest, or poor time management. Their refusal to work makes it harder for other team members as they have to pick up the slack.

• Disrespect: Employees displaying disrespectful behavior significantly disrupt the work environment. This can manifest in undermining authority, constant criticism of managerial decisions, or derogatory communication with colleagues.

• Irresponsibility: Irresponsible employees neglect tasks, deadlines, and agreements. They lack commitment and approach tasks half-heartedly, which lowers the quality of their work. This behavior erodes trust among colleagues and damages the team’s work ethic.

• Negative Attitude and Pessimism: Employees with a consistently negative attitude can severely lower team morale. Their pessimism reduces the motivation of others and poisons the atmosphere.

• Lack of Teamwork: A classic “lone wolf” employee, who has difficulty integrating into the team and working collectively, can manifest in a reluctance to cooperate or constant solo efforts. This lack of teamwork disrupts cohesion and the ability to collaborate effectively.

Tips for Dealing with Difficult Employees

Handling difficult employees presents unique challenges for managers, requiring patience and a thoughtful strategy. The following tips will help you manage difficult employees and bring about long-term changes.

Identify the Causes of Difficult Behavior

To improve a difficult employee's behavior, you must first determine the cause of their misconduct. Lack of motivation, personal issues, or unclear tasks may be contributing factors.

It may be helpful to initiate a conversation and ask the employee about their reasons. For instance, an employee who constantly disagrees might feel overlooked, which leads to defensive behavior. A conversation where the employee can explain their perspective is often the first step toward a solution.

Set Clear Boundaries and Address Misconduct Professionally

It’s important to clarify your role as a manager when addressing misconduct. Set clear boundaries and address the behavior factually, without making accusations.

For example, if an employee makes disrespectful remarks toward you or colleagues, make it clear that such behavior will not be tolerated. Give the employee an opportunity to explain themselves, but also clarify the consequences if the behavior continues.

Conduct Difficult Conversations Effectively

Difficult conversations must be well-prepared to yield a constructive result. It’s important to remain calm and factual, even if the employee reacts emotionally. For example, an employee who feels criticized may react aggressively. In such cases, managers should remain composed and insist that the conversation stays constructive.

A clear structure with defined goals helps steer the conversation and prevent escalation. In our article on "Leading Difficult Employee Conversations," we explain helpful conversation techniques.

H3: Re-motivate the Employee

After a difficult conversation, it’s crucial to offer the employee a positive outlook and re-motivate them. This can be done by setting new, achievable goals or offering additional support. For example, if an employee feels overwhelmed and fails to complete tasks adequately, reconsidering the workload might help. Regular feedback also boosts motivation.

Control & Consequences

Control and consequences are essential in dealing with difficult employees to ensure that agreed goals and behavior changes are implemented. It’s important to communicate clear expectations to the employee and regularly check progress.

If the behavior does not improve despite clear agreements, appropriate consequences should follow. These could range from a warning to more severe actions such as reassignment or, ultimately, termination. This ensures that the employee understands the seriousness of their behavior and has the opportunity to change.

Early Intervention

Identifying problematic behavior early and intervening promptly is critical to preventing further escalation of the issue. If noticeable behavior or repeated performance issues arise, do not wait for the situation to worsen—address it early.

This allows for early clarification of misunderstandings and gives the employee the chance to speak up and contribute to finding a solution. A proactive approach shows the employee that their attitude or behavior has not gone unnoticed and signals your willingness to help resolve the issue.

Checklist: How to Maintain Control in Difficult Situations

In difficult situations, it’s crucial to maintain control to address the problem constructively and reach a positive outcome. Here’s a helpful checklist for dealing with difficult employees:

• Early Intervention: Monitor employee behavior. Issues like withdrawal, conflicts, or declining performance should be taken seriously and addressed early.

• Situation Analysis: Get a clear picture: What behavior patterns are emerging? Are there recurring problems? Use objective data, such as feedback from colleagues or performance metrics.

• Remain Factual: When speaking with the employee, present the issue neutrally and without accusations. Avoid value judgments or blaming.

• Control Emotions: Stay calm and factual, even if the employee is emotional. Avoid reacting to provocations.

• Binding Agreements: Make clear agreements on what the employee needs to improve. Ensure the employee can understand and implement the agreement.

• Documentation: Keep written records of all agreements and actions. This ensures accountability and makes it easier to track improvements.

• Be Consistent: Regularly check if the employee’s behavior has improved. If not, take further action or apply consequences.