Dealing with people can be one of the most rewarding parts of a manager's job, but when things get difficult, it can be one of the most challenging, calling on all our skills and resilience.
It's not surprising - and also not uncommon - for us to put it off for as long as possible or deal with it half-heartedly, yet the most important piece of advice is to deal with it promptly and decisively.
The difficult person can become part of the culture and accepted, even though it might breach written and unwritten codes of conduct for acceptable and appropriate behaviour at work.
How often do we hear the excuse: "Oh, that's just X being X.
He's always been like that".
How often do companies tolerate an aggressive, even bullying style of management because the person 'gets results'?
The impact of a 'difficult person' issue can reach far beyond the immediate circle of the situation.
Here are just a few of the ways it can have an impact on a business:
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Impact on performance
- of the person themselves, of the manager who is tied up trying to work round the situation or over-stressed by its demands.
It can also affect the performance of others in the team
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Impact on productivity and profit
- the bottom line is that if an individual or team is not performing effectively, productivity will suffer.
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Impact on morale
- others in the team may themselves be targets of the difficult behaviour.
If they then feel that management are not tackling the situation confidently, they will lose faith in their leaders and their sense of fair treatment may be harmed.
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Impact on reputation
- people rarely talk about how happy they are at work and how great their company is!
They
will, however, quickly share their moans and gripes with anyone willing to listen. Only today on a
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Impact on recruitment and retention
- this can be linked to the above.
People will vote with their feet if not happy at work and, in a competitive skills market, you may not be able to afford to lose them.
If the message on the rapid grapevine is that your company doesn't 'bite the bullet' with difficult behaviour, you may find the supply of potential recruits drying up.
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Impact on health (including sanity!)
- Work-related stress is one of the prime causes of sickness absence in the
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Risk of litigation
- if the behaviour turns into bullying and harassment, your company may be at risk of being taken to a tribunal.
Work-related stress that leads to illness can also be grounds for suing the employer.
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Impact on the future
- expansion and development plans can be stymied or held up by meeting a difficult person or trying to work round them, particularly when the difficult person is in a senior position.
Your company could stagnate while competitors steal a march.
Some basic guidance
· Prevention is always better than cure - be proactive about creating a working environment where people's differences are considered and taken into account.
· Train your managers - make sure they are equipped in all aspects of dealing with people, in addition to their 'day job'
· Recruit the right people - make sure you don't end up with square pegs in round holes and that people have work that challenges and excites them. Do you recruit only job functions or do you look at personality types and team mix when you look for new staff?
· Keep alert - develop sensitive antennae for early signs of irritation or discontent. When you pick up 'vibes' that things are not quite right, don't ignore them. Look for clues in non-verbal behaviour, sarcastic remarks, tension within teams.
· Be assertive about broaching difficult issues and encourage people to express their feelings. You could even organise sessions where people can express their gripes openly. Suppressed unhappiness is more dangerous than letting staff get it off their chest.
· Value all points of view and allow people to feel 'heard'. Even a critic can play a valuable role.
If you would like to equip your Managers to deal with difficult people, contact Lynne on 01494 455073 or e-mail
lynne@hradvantage.co.uk
