Try to draw out the reasons behind the behavior

 As you talk with the difficult employee, actively listen to what they say. Stay calm and stay positive, but remain impartial and non-judgmental. Ask leading questions that can’t be answered in one or two words. Don’t interrupt.

When you do respond to the difficult employee, remain calm. Summarize back to them what they just said, “so what I understand you are saying is”, so they know you are actually listening to them.

If you can find out from the difficult employee what the real source of the inappropriate behavior is, you have a much better chance of finding a solution.

Sometimes these confrontations will go smoothly, or at least rapidly, to a conclusion. Other times it will require several sessions to resolve the problem.

 Repeat as necessary.

  Minor problems, like being late for work, you may be able to resolve with a simple chat in your office with the employee. An office bully, who has used that behavior successfully since elementary school, may need more than one confrontation before a solution can be reached. Be patient. Don’t always expect instant results. Aim for continuous improvement rather than trying to achieve instant success.

Know when you are in over your head

Sometimes the underlying issue with a difficult employee will be beyond your capabilities. The employee may have psychological problems that require professional help, for example. Learn when to keep trying and when to refer the employee to others for more specialized help. Your company may have an EAP or you may need to use resources from the community

Know  when you are at the end
While the goals is always to reach a mutually acceptable solution that resolves the difficult employees inappropriate behavior and keeps your team at full strength, sometimes that is not possible. When you reach an impasse and the employee is not willing to change his or her behavior then you need to begin terminations procedures in accordance with your company’s policies.

Coming to a Solution

The desired result from confronting a difficult employee’s inappropriate behavior is an agreed upon solution. You know that this inappropriate behavior will continue unless you and the employee agree on a solution. The employee needs to know what is inappropriate about their behavior and they also need to know what appropriate behavior is. The need for a manager to communicate clearly is always high. It is especially important in these situations. Make very sure the employee understands the requirements and the consequences.

Text 4. The 20 Bad Habits. Challenges in Interpersonal Behaviour.

1. Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations.

2. Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add your 2 cents to every discussion.

3. Passing judgment: The need to rate others and impose your standards on them.

4. Making destructive comments: The needles sarcasm and cutting remarks that we think make us witty.

5. Starting with No, But, However: The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly say to everyone that I’m right and you’re wrong.

6. Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.

7. Speaking when angry. Using emotional volatility as a management tool.

8. Negativity  or “Let me explain why that won’t work”: The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren’t asked.

9. Withholding information: Refusing to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.

10. Failing to give proper recognition: The inability to give praise and reward.

11. Claiming credit that we don’t deserve: The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.

12. Making excuses: The need to reposit our annoying behaviour as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.

13. Clinging to the past: The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.

14. Playing favorites: Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.

15. Refusing to express regret: The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.

16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.

17. Failing to express gratitude: The most basic form of bad manners.

18. Punishing the messenger: The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually only trying to help us.

19. Passing the buck: The need to blame everyone but ourselves.

20. An excessive need to be “me”: Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are.

Questions to Unit 8

1. Why is it important to create the “right” morale in a company?

2. What are the ways which can help to ensure social and psychological climate inside a company?

3. What is the difference between “attitude” and “behaviour”?

4. What things can help a company to form the trustful internal relations?

5. How can misunderstanding arise in a company?

6. What difficulties is a first-class manager often confronted with?

7. What are the main guidelines to manage your self?

8. Why is the ability to monitor your time important for a manager?

9. How can you explain the rule “communicate as much as you can”? Why is the ability to communicate so important for managers?

10. How can you recognize what’s important from what is urgent?

11. What does it mean “acknowledge accomplishments?”

12. Why are some employees “difficult”?

13. Should you listen to gossip and rumor? What would be your actions in such situations?

14. Explain the rule “Draw out the reason behind the behaviour”?

15. Name and explain habits that can complicate interpersonal relations?

 

Vocabulary to Unit 8

1. morale n моральное состояние, нравственная атмосфера

2.  lend a ear    уделить внимание, выслушать

3. carrot and stick   морковка и кнут, пряник и кнут

4. burnout   n   переутомление, изнеможение

5. mind   v  возражать, иметь что-либо против…

6. succeed ( in)   v достигать цели, преуспевать; быть приемником

7. keep promises   сдержать обещание

8. trustful relations доверительные отношения

9. identity needs потребности личности, индивидуальные потребности

10. stand on principles      придерживаться принципов

11. well-being n       благосостояние, благополучие, процветание

12. attitude (to, towards)  позиция, отношение к чему-либо

13. technical expertise       техническая квалификация, компетенция, опыт

14. managerial expertise управленческая компетентность, опыт

15. stick in the middle     держаться в середине

16. undeniable  неоспоримый, несомненный, неопровержимый

17. undeniable sign явный признак

18. be out of hand  выходить из под контроля

19. peer n  равный по положению, статусу

20. blowups n  вспышки гнева, раздражения

21. excel   v  отличаться, выделяться

22. assume v  допускать, предполагать

23. quit v прекращать что-либо делать

24. take credit for получать похвалу за что-либо

25. gossip n  слухи, сплетни

26. rumour n  молва, слухи, толки

27. reportedly  по сообщениям, как сообщают

28. remain calm and impartial оставаться спокойным и беспристрастным

29. non-judgmental adj.  не  поверхностный

30. smoothly adv. спокойно, учтиво, вежливо;

31. bully n хвастун, задира, забияка

32. instant success мгновенный успех

33. impasse  тупик, безвыходное положение

Syn.: dead end, deadlock

34. consequence n  последствие, результат

35. overwhelming adj. подавляющий, превосходящий, несметный

36. rate ( smb.) v давать оценку кому-либо

37. impose v  навязывать, навязываться

38. cutting remarks  резкое, саркастическое замечание

39. smart adj. толковый, сообразительный

40. emotional volatility  эмоциональная неустойчивость

41. withhold v  утаивать, скрывать; воздерживаться от…, отказывать

42. overestimate v переоценивать

43. fixture n  постоянное качество

44. cling to… v  держаться за что-л., цепляться

45.deflect blame away  отвести от себя вину, оправдаться

46. gratitude n  благодарность, признание

47. subset подмножество

48. pass the buck  переложить ответственность на другого

49. exalt v  превозносить, восхвалять