And now… something for the boss

At PA Life we’re devoted to bringing you the very latest news, advice and recommendations on a whole smorgasbord of topics that we hope are of interest to you in your professional lives.

Since our most popular stories seem to be those that provide suggestions on how to engender a better working relationship with your manager, we thought we’d ensure you get even more brownie points by offering a selection of news items of interest to the boss. In this edition, we take a look at tried-and-tested techniques for managing difficult people.

First up, when a tricky individual rears his or her head, learn to assess any situation carefully by listening to the grievances that they’re airing. That way you can get to the heart of the matter without making any false assumptions or unfairly rushing to judgement.

Try to give unbiased, neutral feedback to the person concerned. Make sure you speak to them in private to avoid causing them any embarrassment and don’t escalate the issue by getting the HR department involved too early unless it’s strictly necessary. Always aim to provide constructive criticism and encouragement wherever possible.

Whatever you do, don’t make it personal. Focus on the root of the problem as a professional matter and don’t bring the employee’s idiosyncrasies into it, otherwise things could get out of hand quite quickly.

Take time to get to the root of any issue by evaluating the situation fully. Perhaps it’s not that the individual in question is a rogue employee, but simply they’re not a good fit for that specific role. In this instance, a transfer to another department might make for a satisfactory solution.

Don’t forget to take into account the nationality of the individual concerned. With people from all different countries working side by side in the modern workplace, it’s easy to overlook culture clash as the source of contention. Be sensitive in your approach and give the person concerned the benefit of the doubt.

Finally, if they really can’t rub along with other colleagues and are constantly failing to meet management expectations, then you may need to consider that it’s time for them to move on elsewhere. In that case, do your research thoroughly so the matter is resolved as painlessly and efficiently as possible.

Read the original article at tinyurl.com/l6oljvw