Kwitcherbelliakin

 

One of the issues that needs to be dealt with better on our site is handling the "difficult" employee. You would be surprised at the reports of unusual, awkward, even bizarre employee behavior. Or maybe you wouldn't. But here is what gets me: Some exasperated PMs are exasperated because they are not taking advantage of the employee discipline system available to them in their company. Either you use the system or someone else does (another manager, for example). You don't have to put up with difficult employees except in rare cases, so why do you? Think about the stress on you and others. Think about the adverse impacts on the project. People, life is too short! Make a promise to yourself to take that first step. Think about what you will say in that first meeting with the difficult employee. Draft your approach. Run it by an HR specialist. Get ready. You can do it. Next time at the bar, you'll turn your "belly aching" into bragging about how you successfully handled a problem employee.