How to Deal With Problem Employees
Employees behaving badly? Three tips for nipping workplace annoyances in the bud
CIO — Annoyed by a coworker who was constantly whistling, the employee did what all people who fear confrontation do: He gave the job to someone else. He called over a coworker on the pretense of having her look at something on his computer screen. When she arrived at his cubicle, she heard the whistling and immediately shouted for the offender to stop, calling him a "freaking moron." The whistling stopped. Chalk up another one for the brash talkers!
This scene is fictional; it is the premise behind a Dilbert strip in which Dilbert uses Alice to silence the offending whistler. Hilarious as it is, the strip rings true. So many of us who work in offices must put up with annoyances that really are not funny. What's more they can be costly. And research into workplace annoyances published in the Journal of Applied Psychology bears this out. For example, when employees feel abused by their bosses, they will slack off by taking long lunches, surfing the Internet or maybe even stealing things.
When employees feel they are the victims of rudeness, productivity slackens. According to the Academy of Management Perspectives, more than half of "victims" say they worry about future interactions with the offenders.
But these problems are dwarfed by those created by the "untouchables," that is, chronic underperformers whose annoying behaviors are given a free pass by their managers. More than 90 percent of employees surveyed by Vital Smarts reported this problem in their workplace. As a result, everyone else—the touchables—must pick up the slack.
Calling these offenders "morons" may satisfy an immediate need to lash out, but it will not solve the problem. Managers need to treat these individuals more systemically. Here are some ways to deal with problem employees of all types.
Point out the problem. Talk about what is going wrong. It could be lack of cooperation or it could be not showing up. It may be doing things that irritate other employees; this may include telling off-color jokes, talking on the cell phone during meetings or having loud and personal conversations in your cube, despite being asked to stop by coworkers. Be specific about how these behaviors are bothering others and causing disruptions that are harming productivity.
Ask for their solution. Before you act, ask the offender how he would solve the problem. Ask him what he would do if he were in your position. Telling other people to grow up or get a life is not an adequate response.
