How Do You “Deal With It”?

In the February edition of the SHRM HR Magazine, (Yes, I know it’s March but I am a bit behind on my reading. Aren’t we all?), I read an article about dealing with difficult employees that I found to be quite interesting. I know that this topic isn’t new, but I liked the fact that they included stories by HR people who attained positive results by changing the way they interacted with and thought of the difficult employee. Let’s be honest here, no matter how much we wish for problem employees to change, nothing will change until we dig into the reasons why they act the way they do. In the article, the HR representatives took the time to talk to the difficult employees, respectfully and honestly, in order to get to the core of the problem. And then they took it one step further by working with the employee to find a way to make things better. Sometimes the only way to make things better is to find a way to help the employee move on, but this doesn’t happen as often as you might think. In most instances, once the difficult employee has been heard, they become much easier to deal with.

This same approach can be used in workplace investigations. When the investigator takes on the problem with the attitude that they will get to the core of the issue, and find a resolution that best works for everyone, the investigation itself becomes a much calmer process. As a general rule, the best way to diffuse an irate person is the more upset and loud they get, the quieter and more calm you remain.

The key here is wrapped up in the last section of the article. Stay calm and show respect. Remember, employees have a choice in their actions. And sometimes those actions result in discipline. When administering that discipline, showing respect for the employee can diffuse an otherwise combative situation and leave a dignified way out for all parties.

This is a short article, but worth the read. How Do You Deal With Difficult Employees?

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