The city of Yangon represents one fifth of Myanmar’s economy, contributing 23% to the country’s GDP. Jobs in Yangon are mostly in the fields of tourism, trade, real estate, and media, which led the city to be known as Myanmar’s most important commercial center. This abundance in employment in various industries ensures that there are plenty of job opportunities for different individuals. Unfortunately, some people fail to make the most out of the chances given to them. Instead of working with their colleagues to reach a common goal, they display bad behavior and refuse to cooperate.
As the boss, you have to take immediate action to assure that their attitude will not have a negative impact on the team’s performance and a bad impression to your clients. You must identify these troublesome employees and find a way to deal with them as soon as possible. To help you, here are some of the things that you should do when dealing with difficult employees.
Pay More Attention
Although it’s easier, ignoring a problematic employee is not the right solution. In some instances, it even makes the situation worse; because you are ignoring him, the difficult employee will think that he can get away with anything and proceed to do worse things. Instead of hoping that some kind of magic will make the employee change his ways, pay attention to the troublemaker, take notes to record his offenses, and assess the situation quickly so that you can prepare a course of action.
Take Action/s ASAP
Now that you have identified the problem, it’s time for you to intervene especially if that one employee continues to display negative behavior. Make use of the notes that you took down earlier to figure out the root of the problem. Deliberate his points of improvement and assess which of his actions are raising issues at work. Do not forget to talk to him so you can communicate your concerns but be sure to also listen to what he has to say. Afterwards, make sure to give a clear behavioral feedback based on what you have observed and what the others said about him.
Help Him Get Back on Track
Once the difficult employee realizes that his behavior is causing a negative impact to the work environment, take it upon yourself to coach him so that he can become a better employee and increase productivity in the workplace. In some instances, improvement might be slow so you might have to be more patient. Despite this, do not lose hope, especially if you can see that he is making progress.
Don’t Backstab Him
Even if managing a troublesome employee is difficult or frustrating, never badmouth him behind his back. Ranting about his mistakes will just make things worse and might lead to an atmosphere of distrust in the office. It might make you look unprofessional too! Instead of sharing your dislike of his behavior, encourage your other employees to help their colleague out, which may aid them in understanding their colleague’s behavior even more. In the end, this might afford you a better insight about your difficult employee and why he is behaving that way.
Don’t Beat Around the Bush
If the employee fails to acknowledge his behavior and continues to display negative actions, then terminating him might be necessary. Firing someone may be difficult but if it gets to that point, do it right. Don’t make excuses about it or, worse, make someone else do it. Do not be cruel about dismissing someone but make sure that he understands why he is being discharged from work. It will help him improve so that he can be a better employee in the future.
Dealing with difficult employees can be challenging but with the right guidance, you can help him change his negative behavior and become a better employee.