Handling difficult people

As a business manager, you will be responsible for wearing several hats all of which will include working with a variety of personalities. Handling difficult people can often be frustrating for a manager if they don't have the right coping skills to deal with them. The problem a lot of managers run into is trying to find people that can help them get the job done without giving them extra problems. During a job interview you can try your best to find out what type of personalities your employees have and hope they will mesh with your other staff members, but there is no real way to be sure. When you have difficult employees, they will give you problems that range from customer disputes to attendance problems. If you have difficult employees, here are some helpful tips that will help you deal with them in a positive manner.

Tip # 1 - Address the behavior
The first thing you must do is confront the difficult employee. What type of behavior does the employee promote in the office and why is it causing problems? Simply talking to them and finding out what makes them frustrated or unhappy in their job is a great way to help them find ways to work through their behavior that may be causing problems for other employees.

Sometimes an employee can become difficult because their role within the company is too large. They may be taking on too much responsibility and they simply cannot handle it so they become stressed and tense in the office. This leads to tension within the workplace and they can get the reputation of being a difficult employee.

Tip # 2 - Set Expectations
After you talk to your employees about their difficult behavior, set some expectations that they need to meet. Have a discussion with them and discuss some of their responsibilities and have them set expectations with you that you can both agree upon. You also need to come up with rules for discipline that you both agree upon and have the employee sign a contract that agrees to those terms.

Keep a record of their difficult behavior and address it with them if they aren't starting to get better. Give your employees a few pointers on how to act when they are in some situations as this may help them handle those situations better.

Tip # 3 - Hold regular meetings
When you are trying to manage difficult employees, you need to hold regular meetings with them. Bring all your staff members together and talk about the difficult behaviors and come up with different solutions as a team. Working through your problems as a group is a great way to involve everyone and overcome the behaviors that may be causing problems within the company.

Tip # 4 - Discipline
If you are constantly working with the employee and they do not seem to be working on their behavior to make it better, it may be time to take disciplinary action. Some employees just don't seem to get the message if you are being too soft on them and the only way to get through to them is to put your foot down and be a little firm. Be prepared to terminate the employee if they don't try to work on their problems. This can be hard for some managers as they don't like to put their employees out of work, but it is a reality you must learn to face.

Tip # 5 - Keep your cool
Dealing with difficult people will become pretty frustrating for a lot of people and it can literally destroy your job if you aren't careful. Don't allow their behavior to impact you and cause you to react with anger. Take a few deep breaths and remind yourself that not everyone understands things the same way you do.