They’re the scourge of the workplace; every manager’s nightmare. Slinking in to work late, slipping out early, sowing unrest and unease among team members. Backstabbing. Gossiping. Regularly turning in incomplete or incorrect work. Showing a bad attitude, failing to heed even the most basic directions, cluttering the workplace with their loudly-stated controversial opinions or personal habits, they are the trolls of the cubical forest: Difficult employees.

Define “Difficult” :

While the very mention of some employees’ names may produce gritted teeth or eye rolls, change requires a shift in focus. It’s impossible to correct problems without clearly stated expectations and boundaries. Write down the complaints, and frame each one as specifically as possible in relation to how it affects productivity. Once expectations are defined and communicated, it’s easier to move on to the next steps: documentation and behavior modification.

Communication vs Confrontation:

Confrontation isn’t enjoyable, but it can be productive. When discussing the problem with the employee, try shifting the conversation from confrontation to cooperation with objective questions:

·       Are there issues outside your control affecting your work?

·       Is there something about the work environment causing complications?

·       Is there an intrapersonal conflict that needs to be addressed?

·       Are you facing challenges in your personal life?

·       And the most important question of all: “What do you think needs to be done to address the defined issue?”

Document Everything:

By keeping a paper trail, steps taken and the outcomes are clearly established and recorded, tracking progress or failure to meet expectations. In today’s litigious marketplace, documentation becomes crucial when pursuing consequences, especially if termination is the only solution to ousting trollish behavior.

Modification:

Behaviors, attitudes, and environment are malleable. With the willing cooperation of the difficult employee, all three can be adjusted for improved outcomes. Retraining, mediation between conflicting team members, or better communication are just a few of the possible solutions. Often, being included in the improvement process creates a shift in the difficult employee’s attitude, taming the troll and creating productivity and cooperation that benefit the entire team.