Employee Problems and Problem Employees

No one's perfect. Not me. Not you. We can't expect our employees to be devoid of all the idiosyncrasies, attitudes, moods, and problems that each of us have.

People don't leave their problems at the door when they come to work; they bring them in with them. The challenge for leaders is to recognize and deal with the special needs, personalities, and problems of their staff so those issues don't impact productivity and morale.

What are some of the biggest people-problems you face day-to-day? Some of the most common ones are:

• Absenteeism
• Tardiness
• Sensitive and negative co-workers

We can punish absenteeism. We can reward good attendance. Chances are we need to do some of both. But the current trend of offering paid-time-off (PTO) systems seems to work the best. Offering employees a "pool" of days to use for sickness, vacation or just personal time provides flexibility for them and reduces bureaucratic paperwork for us. It also treats adults like adults.

Getting to work on time is a struggle for some people. Unless being late is a standard you can live with, talk about it with a tardy employee as soon as it happens. Mention the importance of timeliness when orienting new employees and then enforce it. Be consistent. If flextime is an option, offer it. It works because it treats adults like adults.

Many managers have at least one staff member who makes life miserable for them -- or at least a constant challenge. They're what we call "high maintenance."

Overly sensitive people often have the expertise to do good work and make good decisions. But they need others' reassurance to help convert their thinking into action. Give them that reassurance. Often. It's a small price to pay for keeping a productive employee fully engaged.

Do you have someone on your team who is negative and always has a reason why what you want to accomplish can't be done? They resist change just for the sake of resisting. Listen to their objections. Ask them to express their ideas openly to the team. Genuinely acknowledge their concerns. Pledge to be on the lookout for evidence of their concerns AND, at the same time, ask them to get on-board with the team...and the change...until the team decides the change isn't working. In other words, treat these adults like adults, with the expectation that they will reciprocate by acting adult-like.

Photo on flickr by mio_pls

Comments

[Connie Ragen Green]

What you are describing here is the main reason I began to work from home. I now deal with people all over the world in my virtual business, but if they have a problem I am not affected by it. I like to think that working on the internet allows people to show their best side, and gives them the time and space to deal with issues that belong out of the workplace.

[Shirley Poertner]

Connie--you are so right. I also have a home office and am self employed. It's easier to be productive this way, but I spent 20 years in corporate environments and make a living today helping others in those corporate environments navigate the barriers and be as productive as possible.