Hey there. Welcome back to the channel. If you are new around here,
my name is Mak and I'm a leadership in some building coach,
but I work specifically with first time team managers. So here's the deal.
And you'll have to let me know in the comment section below what you think.
But I'm, thinking that, you know,
the best aspect of leadership is also in a lot of cases,
the most difficult aspect of leadership, which is dealing with people.
It really is. It really, really is.
And I would argue that in order to be truly effective in a leadership position,
you've got to love people. Because it's like John Maxwell says, right,
leadership is influence.
And we all know you can't influence things it's all about influencing people.
So you got to love people in order to be able to navigate, you know,
the different personality styles on the team and the different strengths on the
team and the difficult personality styles on the team.
That's really important too.
So today what I wanted to do was talk about how to manage difficult employees on
the team, because it is a reality that we all have to face.
And we need to know how to do it if we want to be effective and we want our
teams to achieve the results that we want them to achieve, right?
So what I'm going to do in this video is kind of just break down the difficult
employee types into buckets, because obviously in a 10 minute video,
I can't go into detail on every difficult personality style out there.
But I'm going to talk about kind of the most common ones and then share with you
some tips in terms of how to navigate okay.
So that's what we're going to be diving into today.
Now I want to encourage you to stick with me until the end of the video,
because I actually have a really special announcement for you at the end.
So don't give up on me in the middle of the video,
make sure you stick with it to the end. Alright. So let's get started. Okay,
so let's talk about the first difficult employee type,
which is the complainer or the person that tends to make an issue out of
everything, right? I think we've all worked with someone like this who,
you know, no matter how positive something is,
they see the negative and then they proceed to complain and complain about it.
This is really bad for a team because of course, as a manager,
you already know that you need the buy-in and enthusiasm of
everybody on that team in order to achieve the results you're trying to achieve.
But you're never going to be able to do that if you have someone on the team
that is so negative and is pointing out all the challenges rather than
solutions, and as a result,
they're dragging everybody down because it does tend to rub off. So of course,
we already know you got to deal with it. Now,
before I get into talking about what specifically you have to do to deal with
it, I want to call out something that is very important with all the difficult
employee types,
which is that the difficulty that you're experiencing is simply a symptom of a
deeper issue. So for example, in this case with the complainer,
the deeper issue usually falls under three buckets.
So number one could be that they feel that they are overloaded and they
have way too much on their plate when really, and truly, they just,
they're just not good at managing their time or prioritizing properly.
Number two could be that they really do have too much on their plate and they
don't feel supported by people around them or number three,
they do not feel confident in figuring out how to do what you're asking them to
do. And so their default is procrastination, which comes off as complaining.
You see,
knowing the root cause really helps you to better navigate the situation.
So you, as their manager can really approach this in two different ways.
First of all,
you want to literally approach them about their workload and how they can better
prioritize and better manage their time so that they're getting more done and
not feeling so flustered and overwhelmed.
Or you can talk to them about giving you, giving them some extra support.
Or you can help clarify things for them if they're feeling kind of lost in terms
of what steps to take, right?
So that's the first thing you can do is have that discussion with them,
with those things in mind.
The second thing you want to do is shift their perspective.
So when they come to you with a complaint, um, shift shifted to solutions.
So instead of having them complain, have them, you know,
use that beautiful juice of theirs to come up with solutions. So, uh,
right away, like I said, you know,
if they're bringing it to your desk or if it's an, a team meeting,
stop them immediately and be like, listen, Hey Sally,
thanks so much for bringing this to the forefront.
What do you think is a better way to handle this situation?
That way you're helping them shift into thinking in a more solutions oriented
way rather than being bogged down in their overwhelm and then, you know,
complaining the next difficult employee type is the yes person.
Now this individual on the surface might seem great because they're saying yes
to every task, every project, every favor that you ask of them.
But then when you step back and you like, take a look at things, you realize,
wait,
they're not actually following through on the things that they said they would
do. Which leaves you feeling like, well, I can't trust this individual. Now,
obviously yeah this is frustrating for you,
but I'm sure it's also frustrating for this team member because they're not like
saying yes to let you down, right. They have good intentions.
It's just that they over committed themselves.
And they're finding themselves in a situation where they're not able to follow
through on their commitments. Now, again, this is merely a symptom.
And oftentimes this is a symptom of someone who perhaps just has poor planning
or it could be fear.
Sometimes fear causes them to say yes or it could be the people pleasing aspect
of them coming out and wanting to say yes,
even though they know within themselves that they can't do what you're asking
them to do. Now with this individual,
it's incredibly important to take that step back and to really think about what
their root cause is because of course that will affect the education that you
provide them around planning and around saying no, right.
But on a more tactical level with this person,
I believe it is really important to provide very clear expectations with this
person from the very, very beginning. Now, of course,
I preach all day long about setting clear expectations with all your employees,
but I think it's very important with this person because they need it.
And when I say clear expectations,
I don't mean stop at just what they got to do and by when.
You got to take it a step further and let them know what the consequences are of
not following through on their commitments.
And I think that sometimes as managers, we tend to stop here.
Like we don't tend to do this part, but this is really important.
Someone needs to know the impact of their actions,
particularly if they are that type of person that tends to over-commit
themselves.
So you want to make sure that when you are asking them to do something and when
they say yes, that you are letting them know, Hey,
if this isn't done by this time or whatever the case might be,
this is the impact of that.
So you want to make sure that you are sharing with them,
the consequences of not following through on their commitments.
So the next difficult employee type is the know-it-all.
And I don't think we could have a video talking about managing difficult
employees without talking about the know-it-all. I mean, it's just not possible.
So I used to work with someone like this who thank God, like was not on my team.
This was someone laterally, but she was like always doing this,
always adding in her 2 cents about topics that she was very knowledgeable about
and topics that she was not knowledgeable about. If I'm being honest.
Always doing this. And it was so annoying and so frustrating.
And I talked to clients today and they have employees like this on their team.
And yeah, they're feeling the frustration and the annoyance too with this.
So I totally understand. This is a difficult person to manage.
But something that I noticed about her and I'm sure, you know,
you'll notice it too about, um,
the people on your team like this is that their incessant need to talk about
everything that they know is really just a symptom. Okay. It's a symptom.
And the deeper root cause of this symptom is insecurity.
Insecurity is at the heart of what is going on.
So for whatever reason, right? At home or at work,
they are not getting the validation that they need.
And so they feel like they've got to speak up and say what they got to say and
add in their 2 cents all the time so that they can get that validation that they
need. So for you,
one of the best things that you can do when it comes to leading an individual
like this is, you got to learn how to balance the beam of recognition,
as well as firmness. Okay. You really do.
Yes you want to lean into those moments where you can recognize this individual
for the great work that they do because they deserve it, right.
They absolutely deserve being appreciated for their fine efforts.
But at the same time, you don't want to overindulge because again,
you're training them to do a lot of this because that's what gets them the
reaction. So you really got to make sure that, of course, yes like I said,
that you're recognizing them, but also that you're not feeding their craving.
The other thing that is incredibly important with this personality type
is that you got to just address it, right?
You got to have the conversation with them and let them know that it's just
this, isn't just not working. That, that that's not acceptable behavior.
Because well, think about it. Number one,
if it's annoying for you and frustrating for you,
can you imagine how frustrating it is for your team members?
This type of individual is not someone that is great to be around.
And so it causes a divide. And of course, where there is a divide,
then work is not done properly. It just can't be right.
There's no way your team is gelling. Well,
if there's someone like this on the team,
the second thing is that not everybody is self-aware,
I'll tell you that.
And so this person might just not have the self-awareness or the emotional
intelligence to know how they're coming off.
And so if you don't address it with them, they won't know,
and they'll just continue to do it.
So you gotta address the elephant in the room and let them know, you know,
what's going on, tell them the truth about how,
what they're doing is coming off. Now I know that this might be really awkward.
That's why in the accelerator program,
I teach my students a framework for having a sensitive conversation like this,
because it can be awkward. But I can tell you this,
having the conversation is better than not.
Just make sure that it is direct and that it's respectful
because at least if it's direct, they get the point. And if it's respectful,
then you're not the straw that breaks their back. Because again,
we're dealing with insecurity.
So we do have to be very gentle in the way that we handle it.
But it doesn't need,
it doesn't mean that we don't want to have the conversation.
We absolutely need to have that conversation with them.
The next difficult employee type is a person that always comes to you to solve
their problems. So I'm talking, they're always in your office,
or they're always sending you an email,
or they're always double checking with you before making any sort of decision or
taking any sort of action step,
because they're not solving the problems on their own. Now, again,
this is merely a symptom. And oftentimes with this one,
it falls into a couple of different categories. So number one,
they might just not have,
they might not have the critical thinking skills to solve the problem.
Number two, they maybe have the critical thinking skills,
but they don't have the confidence to solve the problem on their own.
Number three,
they just might not have the training or the skills required to do what you're
asking them to do. Number four, they're being micromanaged by you.
So they feel like they have to come to you for everything.
Or number five in their past, they've had a poor manager,
which there are a lot of who basically said to them, Hey,
you have to come to me for everything. And so they were trained, um,
to do exactly that. And that's why with you, they're doing the exact same thing.
Lots of reasons as to why this might be. So many years ago,
I went to this leadership conference where the speaker at the conference was
talking about this concept of the monkey,
which is something that he had actually learned from another leadership expert.
And essentially this concept of the monkey is when someone comes to you with
their problems,
you want to automatically like visualize that they literally have a monkey on
their shoulder that jumps off and lands on you, okay?
Lands on your desk. It lands on you,
it lands in your vicinity and that your job as their leader is to ensure that
when they leave your office, that they take their monkey with them. Essentially,
the concept is just that, Hey, when someone's coming to you with your,
with their problems or when your team members are coming to you with problems,
yes, you want to support them.
But you also want to make sure that you're not taking it on yourself because you
will never make progress that way. Now,
my mentor used to say something that is very much aligned with that.
He would say, listen, Mak people get paid to solve problems.
And if I am solving their problems for them,
then what are they getting paid for? And, you know, I got to tell you, I,
100% agree with that and have adopted that mentality myself.
I mean, yes,
I want to create a positive and collaborative environment where I am supporting
you as your leader, but at the same time, if I'm solving your problems for you,
then that problem has a very high price tag.
And that is just not good economics. It's really, really not.
And so I have to make sure that you're equipped to solve those issues and that
you feel like you are empowered to solve those issues. So how do you do that?
Right?
How do you deal with somebody who seems to always want to bring their problems
to you and how do you like maintain that balance of supporting them,
but not doing it for them? Well,
the first thing you have to do is put it back on them the very first time.
So something you can say is, listen, Sally,
thank you so much for bringing that to my attention, but here's the deal.
I am very confident in your ability to be able to come up with a solution to
this. So how about we do this? How about you go off and come up with,
let's say three solutions to this issue.
And then come back to me when you have three solutions and we will work it out
together. That way, what you're doing when they come to you with their,
with their monkey, right, is you are giving it back to them. You're saying,
figure it out and come back to me.
I will support you once you've thought it through,
but first you have to think it through.
So the next difficult employee type is the gossiper.
And this is the person that just loves their tea and loves spreading it just as
much.
Now this is a difficult one because oftentimes the gossiper is just such a
friendly person. They're super lovable, super personable.
That's why everyone tells them their tea.
But the thing is them spreading this is very,
very cancerous and toxic to the team. And so it is very,
very dangerous to the productivity and trust levels of the team.
So what do you do even though this person is extremely lovable?
What do you do if you have a gossiper on your team?
Well there are two antidotes,
when it comes to dealing with the gossip on the team,
and one is steeped in the culture and the standards that you have set forth for
the team. You know,
if you on any level have kind of allowed gossip to spread on the
team, then you're basically saying that it is okay.
So what you want to do is take a step back and like ask yourself, Hey,
at any point,
have I allowed gossip to spread on my team or have I participated in it
myself? Because I know for me, I've done both of those things.
Like I've on many occasions,
allowed things to spread and I've been the one involved in it as well,
because it is so easy to get sucked in once you hear a story, but you can't.
Especially if you're the one that's saying, listen, like gossip,
gossip is toxic and we don't want this on a team. Then you can't be the one,
you know,
participating in it because you have to lead by example because they're
obviously going to follow your example.
The second antidote is to make sure that you're being very transparent with your
team. You know, when people don't have that full picture,
it's so easy for them to, you know, come up with their own narrative.
And the gossip loves that they love, you know,
inserting their story into a narrative that is kind of empty.
And so you got to make sure that you have a really solid communication plan for
when things are changing or when an incident happens so that you can get in
front of it and make sure that everybody truly understands what's going on.
And that they're not like, you know, uh, tempted to go into this,
this gossip mill that often happens when they feel like they're not entirely
sure what's happening. Okay so that's it. In terms of my suggestions,
when it comes to managing difficult employees. Listen, I know it's tough.
I know it's not easy,
but I also know that you can absolutely do this because I have that kind of
faith in you, my friend.
Okay so now let's move on to the mini surprise that I had for you that I
mentioned at the very beginning of this video.
So here's the deal over the past couple of months,
I had been getting inundated with questions from you guys. I mean,
it's great to hear from you. I love hearing from you guys,
but it's a lot of questions and I'm finding it kind of like hard to keep up,
especially on the YouTube channel, because I mean,
I can only do a topic once a week or maybe every other week,
depending on the season of my business. Right?
Like if I'm helping a lot of clients and I can't come out with as many videos as
I would like, so here's my solution or here's what, I'm,
what I'm thinking is a solution to this. I am going to dedicate one video,
let's say every other month to just answering your questions. Okay.
So I will dedicate one whole video to just going back to back to back
answering as many questions as I can that come in. Now, of course, like,
I'm not going to read your name and I like,
I'm not going to share any of those like privacy details.
Cause that's just not appropriate.
But I will make sure to answer your question in a way that you know,
that it's your question. You just have to be there watching it, of course.
Right. Okay.
So here are the instructions in terms of how to get your question to me.
So I want you to send your question to support@makedaandrews.com. Okay,
so
supports@makedaandrews.com and put in the subject line question for Mak.
That way my customer support lead can like sift through all the questions and
send me the ones that are most relevant to everybody.
Cause I want to make sure that I'm answering questions that can help a multitude
of people. Okay. And again, I want you to send it to support@makedaandrews.com.
Don't send it to me because if you send it to me, like my inbox is really hairy.
There's a ton of stuff in there. I might miss it.
It's better if you send it to my support team.
So please send it to support@makedaandrews.com. Okay.
Either way. I am like, so looking forward to adding this segment to the,
to the YouTube channel, I think it's going to be really,
really beneficial for so many people.
And so I'm excited to get your questions and I can't wait to start the segment.
I think I'm going to call it, ask Mak, I don't know, ask Makattack.
I'm not sure what I'm going to call it. Someone I'll think of it.
Let me know in the comments section below what you think I should call this
segment. All right, guys. It was so great to be with you today.
I hope you are having a fantastic week. I know it's only Tuesday,
but I hope so far.
It's been going well and I wish you a fantastic rest of the week as well.
And do not forget to keep smiling. All right. I'll see you then.