Difficult employee behavior can have a negative impact on an entire organization, especially when it’s left unaddressed. In this article, we’ll talk about why challenging behaviors can occur and how you can effectively deal with them when they do happen. By following these four steps, you’ll be able to make sure that your workplace culture is productive and your employees are doing the best work they can do.
Keep Yourself Calm
Don’t panic. Remain calm, and try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Consider what may have happened in their day that may have caused them to act out. Take a deep breath and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. If you do lose your temper, apologize afterwards and take some time for yourself away from the situation before continuing on.
Think Strategically
If you have an employee that is not meeting expectations, your first step should be to try and figure out why. Is the employee unhappy with their current position, are they having family problems, or is there a behavioral issue? Once you figure out what the problem is and what needs to be done about it, your next step should be communicating with them. It’s important for both parties involved in the situation to feel as though they’re heard and respected.
Give Them Time to Change
If the employee is new, giving them time to change their behavior may be helpful. For example, if they’re constantly late for work, you could allow them a certain number of days before docking their pay or terminating them. If they’re chronically late and it’s not a one-time thing, then don’t wait until it’s too late and do something about it.
Let Go of Grudges
It’s inevitable that you’ll have employees who don’t work out. When this happens, it’s important not to keep them in the organization longer than necessary. Holding onto grudges from a former employee will only make your life more difficult.
