b'BUSINESS MANAGEMENTask why that might be the case. If recurring immovablenew duties, that can be solved with additional training. conflicts, like school drop-offs, are the issue, thenIf the problem is personnel clashes, this can be solved schedule flexibility might be the solution. Shiftingwith counseling for all involved.Wilbers official arrival time thirty minutes later couldBonus tip: Remind recalcitrant employees thatmost make Wilber a punctual employee overnight, andjob descriptions include a phrase requiring employees reduce his stress level, too, said Cormier. to perform other duties as assigned.Perhaps Wilber has personal challenges that are3. Joseph is in the habit of talking over causing the problem. Some mental health conditionsothers in meetingscan make it more challenging for employees to arrive on time, said Cormier. Gently ask him about how heFailure to deal with an overbearing team member is doing, giving him the opportunity to share withoutcan create morale and productivity problems when pressuring him to open up. Regardless of Wilbersemployees feel their contributions are belittled. answer, his manager can remind him of any availableHave a sit-down meeting with Joseph and explain personal resources such as an employee assistancehow their behavior is affecting other people, suggests program (EAP). DeannaBaumgardner,PresidentatEmployers The meeting should, above all, be solutions oriented.Advantage(employersadvantagellc.com).Say Be clear that the goal of the conversation is to stepsomething like, Weve noticed youre talking over away from excuses, understand the bigger picturepeople, youre talking loudly and interrupting. We need and come up with a lasting solution. to give other people the opportunity to share. Heres # Bonus tip: Schedule follow-up meetings so Wilberwhat we expect from you. Then provide guidance on is held accountable for improvement and can requesthow Joseph should pause his own statements to let needed support. others contribute.2. Sandy keeps saying Its not my jobDespite Josephs best efforts to improve, he may when asked to do a taskoccasionallylapse.Ifhisintrusionscontinue unchallenged, other employees will lose respect for the Recalcitrant employees who appeal to the constraintsmanager. Its wise to speak up and create opportunities of their job description can frustrate the best offor other people to express their ideas. This can be done managers. The traditional solution was to throw downwith a statement as simple as, Joseph, thank you for a gauntlet: get to work or get fired. But that can createyour feedback. Now lets hear from somebody else.morale problems that affect team performance andBonus tip: Ask Joseph if he would like coaching on erode profitability. Instead, undertake a three-step planhow to communicate well in group settings.designed to uncover the hidden reason for Sandys behavior. 4. Julia is bad-mouthing a customer to Step One: Assess the situation. What does youra colleague, and another customer history with Sandy tell you in terms of her willingnessoverhears her remarksto get a little bit stretched in the work she does? posesCustomers have long memories. When they hear Bob Verchota, senior consultant at RPVerchota &an employee make negative remarks about a fellow Associates, Minneapolis. Is her reluctance somethingcustomer, they will start to wonder if they will also be new, or did it start at a certain time? And is it relatedtargeted. Revenues will likely be affected.to one specific task, or many? The answers to theseYou should talk to Julia to say you have observed questions can provide clues to possible causes. her behavior and it is not acceptable, said Anastasiia Step two: Ask Sandy for input about her motivations.Khyzhniak, Talent Enablement Director at Jooble Have a frank conversation with Sandy, suggests(jooble.org). She needs to understand that such Verchota. Cover what you know about her work habits,actions create a bad environment for other workers, as elucidated in Step One. If she has been willing toturn off customers and create a bad image for the perform extra duties in the past, what has changedcompany in the community. Even if a customer had not in the organization?overheard her remark, imposing negative sentiments Step three: Determine solutions. Rather than imposeon another employee can create a toxic workplace.a solution from above, ask Sandy to suggest a pathThe trick here is to avoid being too negative in tone forward. If she feels her skills are inadequate to theContinued on page 24www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 23'