Dealing With Difficult Employees Cal Poly Pomona - Employee Relations Oct. 2006

Dealing With Difficult Employees

Cal Poly Pomona - Employee RelationsOct. 2006

Focus of This Discussion:

Performance Management – How We Do Business

Common Errors, Mistakes, and Missteps

Preparing for the Discussion

Talking to Your Employee

“Tough Situations” – What Are they?

Respond, Don’t React!

Understanding Emotions

Set Yourself up for Success!

Performance Management – How We Do Business

To Guide Employees toward Best Performance Practices

To Help Employees Understand and Achieve Established

Work Performance Expectations

To Build Solid Working Relationships

“Performance Management Improves Performance and Benefits

Everyone!”

Performance Management Communicating your Department’s Mission

Each Employee Plays a Part in Achieving the Mission

Through Task performance, Communication, and Skills Utilization

Their development, as well as performance, is a continuous process, requiring on-going feedback

Do Not Wait for the Annual Performance Evaluation to give feedback. It should NOT be the only communication the

employee receives about their performance or contributions.

Not-so-great Moments Part 1

HEY BOSS!

UH, YEAH?

?

THAT PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO WORK. WE TRIED IT 10

YEARS AGO AND IT FAILED! IF IT’S NOT BROKE, WHY FIX IT?

SO YOU’VE DOOMED IT TO FAILURE? THAT’S

JUST TYPICAL. I CAN’T RELY ON YOU FOR

ANYTHING!!

Performance Management – Common Errors, Mistakes or Missteps

Avoidance - You Do Nothing, perhaps hoping it will go away or resolve itself, but the behavior continues.

Procrastination - You Intend to get around to it, but You Don’t. Time slips away and dealing with it is no longer timely, or the problem has gotten worse.

You Don’t Know What To Do in a Union Environment; Afraid to Look Silly, So You Don’t Ask

You’re Concerned that You Will “Rock the Boat” or that its the “Way Things Have Always Been”

You hope the Lead will deal with it, but You’re the Manager! It’s Conflict and it could get Ugly. Why Can’t People Just Do Their Job…Procrastination…

“Knowing where you can go wrong will help you avoid the

pitfalls”

“Preparing” for the DiscussionBe prepared to LISTEN!

Focus on the actual job performance &/or behaviors —stick to the facts and what you “know” (avoid

rumors or hearsay, verify facts before you meet) Identify—and prepare enough time to focus on the

positive attributes of the employee’s performance Identify—and be ready to discuss—the next steps in employee development, whether remedial steps,

goals, or growth-type activities If Goals, Development, or Improvement actions were

identified previously, be prepared to discuss progress

You and Your Employee are “Invested” in the Organization. Make the

Investment Work For Both of You!

Not-so-great Moments Part 2

EVERYBODY SAYS YOU HAVE A

PROBLEM GETTING ALONG WITH

OTHERS, AND YOU ARE LAZY!!

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I WORK TWICE AS

HARD AS EVERYBODY. THEY’RE JUST JEALOUS!!

THAT”S NOT WHAT I HEAR. I

NEED TO GO TO A MEETING NOW…

The most effective improvement plans are those in which

both supervisor and employee share ownership.

Talking to Your Employee

Tell the truth, in a respectful but direct manner.

Remember to focus on the actual job-related issues and behavior based on data, or what you “know”

Do not attack the employee’s character under ANY circumstances. Always maintain Mutual Respect.

For each issue, solicit the employee’s ideas about how to adjust and improve—but also have a plan of your own

Ensure you communicate clearly what the expectations are, what the employee needs to do, specify timeframe, how it will bemeasured and how you will support/aid the effort

When It Gets Hot—Respond, Don’t React!

Lack of Accountability or Denial:

Lack of Accountability or Denial takes many forms: “I should not be expected to do that,” “well, I’m better than so-and-so,” “I didn’t get trained well,” among others excuses

Keep the focus on the employee and department requirements, and keep “returning the ball to their court.”

I have made clear what the department expectations are, and you are expected to comply with them.

The answers to each of the denial statements above are:

You are being evaluated based on the classification standards for your position and your performance, and not against other employees.

If you believe you are not adequately trained to perform a task, you can always come to me and express your concern.

When It Gets Hot—Respond, Don’t React! The Angry Employee – Blames or Attacks

Stay Focused, Do Not Let It Get PersonalRefer Discussion Back to the Facts, Remind the employee that you have a plan for the employee to improve

The Disagreeable Employee - ArgumentativeDisagreeing can be healthy; respect differences

of opinion, but stay on TopicDisrespecting you is NOT healthy. IF the conversation

gets “ugly” stay calm and focused, but firmly let the employee know that unprofessional

behavior will not be tolerated.


The Whiner - Finds fault in EverythingListen, acknowledge, paraphraseAvoid accusation-defense-accusationAsk specific Q’sEngage them in possible Solutions

The Pessimist - It won’t workDon’t Offer Solutions until the Problem has been

thoroughly discussedWhen Discussing alternatives, Ask Q’sBe Prepared to Give Clear and Specific Instructions


The Know-It-All – The Expert on EverythingListen & ParaphraseDo your homework: they want answersDon’t Challenge Their ExpertiseDon’t OvergeneralizeWatch Out for your Own Know-It-All responses

The Bomb – Loses control & Temper TantrumsAllow venting, but move to Problem-SolvingSet Respectful BoundariesShow that you take Them and their Concerns

SeriouslyUse Active Listening


The Clam – No reply, grunts, just ‘Yes” or “No”Ask Open-Ended Q’sWait for response: don’t fill the silenceComment on What’s Happening in the InteractionBe patientAllow Plenty of Time

The Dawdler – Indecisive, stalls, procrastinatesListen for Issues-Engage them in Problem-SolvingDon’t Take on Their Problems YourselfConcentrate on Examining the FactsGive Support for Any Decision They OfferClarify Who’s Responsible for What

Understanding Emotions

Recognize that People have Different Motivations, Needs, Styles, & Fears

Anger & ControlUnderstand that Stress and Fear lead to angerHe Who Angers Me Controls MeWe cannot be in Control when AngryHe Who’s In Control Wins

Mutual Respect If people Perceive that Others Do Not Respect them, the conversation Become Unsafe and EndsWatch for defensiveness, highly charged, fear turns to

anger, pouting, name-calling, yelling, and threats.Do Others Believe that You Respect Them?

Much Better Moments Between You and Your Employees!

…I”VE ANSWERED ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS, AND WE BOTH AGREE ON THIS ACTION PLAN. NOW IT

IS UP TO YOU TO CARRY IT OUT…

WELL, IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL WORK. I’LL TRY. I

APPRECIATE THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME AND YOUR

SUPPORT I KNOW YOU CAN SUCCEED. LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN

HELP!

I LOVE THIS

JOB!!!

For Helpful Assistance, Contact…

Angie Hernandez, Manager, Employee Relations Ext. 5392 [email protected]

U’Pal King, Lead Employee Relations Coordinator Ext. 3729 [email protected]

Nolan Dyo, Employee Relations Assistant Ext. 5391 [email protected]

Ann Overman-Scott, Director, Human Resources Ext. 4987 [email protected]

Documents

Dealing With Difficult Employees Cal Poly Pomona - Employee Relations Oct. 2006