Dealing With Difficult Employees

Course Modules

• Module 1 : Understand The Psychology of Difficult Employees

  • Introduction/course aims and objectives
  • The causes of difficult employee– how to recognise and pre-empt them
  • Strategies for managing the difficult conversation – early interventions
  • Recognising classic profiles of difficult people and how to manage them
  • Deciding when to take the most appropriate action
  • Case study – ‘Managing the difficult conversation’

   

  Module 2 : Managing Negative Attitudinal & Aggressive Behaviours

  • Initiating the meeting & opening the conversation
  • Managing inefficiency and poor performance issues
  • Tackling attitude and behaviour issues confidently
  • Communicating with unresponsive individuals
  • Handling hostile and aggressive situations
  • Role-play – ‘Dealing with the aggressive employee’
  • Handling the reactions of the difficult conversation
  • Follow through and managing the relationship after the meeting
  • Discussion – ‘Keeping the disruptive employee on track’

  Module 3  : Mastering Assertive & Creative Communication Skills

  • What to say—and what not to say—when you ask an employee to meet with you about a performance issue
  • The characteristics of constructive criticism—and how to use it effectively to convey the perceived problem to the employee and promote productivity
  • How to avoid the communication breakdowns that can escalate a problem situation
  • How to avoid making emotionally charged statements that trigger a negative response—and lay the foundation for a lawsuit
  • Don’t soft-pedal the issue: The importance of using specific, clear and direct language when communicating with employees about performance problems

   

  Module 4  : Master The Art of Conflict Management

  • Understanding the causes of conflict
  • Analysing your conflict resolution profile and behavioural style
  • Preparing for conflict situations
  • Mediation skills and conflict resolution

   

  Module 5  : Master The Skills of Performance Management

  • The importance of taking corrective rather than punitive action
  • The critical differences among coaching, criticizing and disciplining—and how to decide which approach a particular situation calls for
  • When verbal reprimands are effective—and what you can do to prepare for and manage workers’ reactions
  • Avoiding several common—but ineffective—managerial tendencies for dealing with problem employees
  • One vital step you must take to gain employee acceptance for the solution to a performance problem
  • The major elements every successful performance improvement plan must include
  • A step-by-step checklist for conducting effective intervention meetings