To review the four scenarios, click here.
Here are the recommendations for dealing with these challenging employees as presented in one of the training exercises in the BLR® PowerPoint® training session, How to Manage Challenging Employees.
GUIDANCE
- Sit down with the employee and examine each of his recent complaints. If a complaint has merit, ask the employee for suggestions about how to resolve the problem. For complaints about things that cannot be changed, explain why certain decisions have been made, why these things are the way they are. In the future, consult more with this employee. Get his input as often as possible. Try to include him in decision making whenever possible. Delegate decision-making authority when possible. Bringing this employee more into the department loop should help change his attitude and reduce the complaints.
- Take this employee aside and speak with her privately. Tell her that you value employees who take initiative. But add that in the future, you would prefer that she consult you before she acts outside the established rules. Then point out specific instances in which she has broken or bent work rules. Give her the opportunity to explain why she acted as she did. Then explain the reason for each of these rules. Warn her that failing to follow the rules in the future could result in discipline—something you would prefer to avoid. Tell her that you would much prefer her full cooperation in following the rules in the future.
You know your managers could do a better job if they were trained, and now there’s a convenient and reasonable way to get it done—BLR’s Leadership Library at the online, 24/7 TrainingToday. Get More Information.
- Take Carl aside and ask him where he heard the story about layoffs. Assure him that the rumor is untrue. Explain how damaging it can be if employees are misinformed about important issues like this. Discuss any other damaging rumors with which this employee has been involved. Ask him to check with you before he passes along information concerning company business. Then, in the future, try to involve Carl in department communications in a positive way. For example, perhaps you could enlist his help in writing memos or writing up department news for the company newsletter. By being more involved in legitimate channels of communication, this employee might be less tempted to turn to the rumor mill.
- Sit down with Nancy and tell her that you are concerned about her relationships with her coworkers. Explain that her behavior is alienating other workers and damaging important work relationships. Also tell her that although she is entitled to her opinion about people, you and her coworkers would prefer to make your own judgments. Assure her that you judge her performance on its own merits, not in comparison with others. Tell her that, in the future, you want her to focus on her work and her performance goals and let others worry about theirs. Assure her that you are confident that she will be successful in attaining her goals and that you will help in any way possible.
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Did you find this training exercise helpful? Would you like more prewritten, online training presentations that include helpful information on a number of leadership topics?
There’s no doubt training can be a hassle—authorizing, planning, delivering, tracking—and it’s easy to let this critical priority slip, especially on what some might consider “soft” topics, such as management skills training. But effective training is critical to having an effective workforce—and a successful business.
To solve the training-is-a-hassle problem, BLR has created a unique and helpful solution called TrainingToday.
This turnkey service requires no setup, no course development time, no software to install, and no new hardware. Your employees can self-register, and training can be taken anytime (24/7), anywhere, with nothing but a PC and an Internet connection. Courses take only about 30 minutes to complete.
Just as important, TrainingToday automatically documents training. As trainees sign on, their identifications are automatically registered. When the program is completed, the trainee’s score is entered. So, when you want to see who has or hasn’t yet trained on any subject or you want to look at the across-the-board activity of any one employee, it’s all there, instantly available to you, your boss, an inspector—even a plaintiff’s attorney.
These are all motivational, actionable programs—for both employees and supervisors—in such key areas as sexual harassment, the FMLA, diversity, communication, USERRA, recruiting, and many more. The courses are kept up to date to reflect federal and state regulatory changes, and what’s more, we continually add new programs.
The Leadership Library, for example, provides you with a sensible (and economic) solution.
The Leadership Library for Managers and Supervisors allows you to:
- Train on demand. Employees can complete training anytime from anywhere. All they need is a computer and an Internet connection.
- Reinforce training topics with engaging graphics and quizzes to test their knowledge.
- Monitor and track the results of your training program with the built-in recordkeeping tool.
- Save costs. The more you train, the more cost-effective the training becomes.
The Leadership Library for Managers and Supervisors is a Web-based training tool that can be utilized by any organization. All you need is a computer and Internet access—the library is available 24/7.
The Leadership Library trains your managers on the fundamental skills required for successful team management and organizational communication.
The courses cover a range of leadership and managerial topics, including the following:
- Business Writing Skills for Supervisors
- Dealing with Change: How Supervisors Can Help
- Motivating Employees: Tips and Tactics for Supervisors
- Effective Communication for Supervisors
- Conflict Resolution and Consensus Building
- Workplace Ethics for Supervisors
- Encouraging Employee Input
- Negotiation Skills for Supervisors
- Time Management for Supervisors
- Professional Behavior: What Supervisors Need to Know
- Performance Goals for Supervisors
- New Supervisors’ Guide to Effective Supervision
- Problem Solving for Supervisors
- How to Manage Challenging Employees
- Coaching for Superior Employee Performance: Techniques for Supervisors
- Effective Meetings: How-To for Supervisors
- Leadership Skills: What New Managers and Supervisors Need to Know
This turnkey service requires no setup, no course development time, no software installation, and no new hardware. Your employees can self-register, and training can be taken anytime (24/7), anywhere there is a PC and an Internet connection. Courses take only about 30 minutes to complete.
TrainingToday automatically documents training. As trainees sign on, their identifications are automatically registered. When the program is completed, the trainee’s score is entered. So, when you want to see who has been trained on any subject or you want to look at the across-the-board activity of any one employee, it’s all there, instantly available.
Course certificates can be automatically generated from within the training center and are automatically retained for recordkeeping purposes.
Get started today on helping your managers and supervisors be the best they can be!
This looks like really interesting material.
I’m a free-lance trainer working with The Training Associates.
AND I have training in Non Violent Communications, which seems to be nicely reflected in your work.
Is there any way we might work together?
Steve