How to handle difficulty team member?
Some team members are difficulty to deal with. I don't have enough time to discuss her/his concerns (about 2 hours every time).
What should I do?
Lu-Ping,
Giving individual time and attention to all team members is one of the most important roles of a manager. Setting boundaries can help with the situation you are describing. For example, you can set aside an hour a week, or more depending on the size of your team, and conduct fireside chats. Each person knows they have your undivided attention for 10 minutes. Over time, team members learn to be succinct, which is a great skill for them to learn. Give that a try.
Dr. Jamie Morley
I agree that team members need to be heard and feel as though what they think, whether it be positive or negative, is important. You could perhaps offer to sit and speak with this person privately, but make the suggestion that they bring the two or three biggest "concerns" they have to be discussed. When someone has multiple concerns and are allowed to discuss this in front of the entire group, it leaves the others feeling pushed out and annoyed. I hope this helps.
Shana,
Establishing meeting norms is a good strategy to keep your team in line while still encouraging their participation. If the protocol states that everybody can write or voice one challenge/opportunity and one success, then it is hard for naysayers to monopolize the situation. Determine the order of the meetings and set time limits for everybody to state their position, as well as time limits for discussion on each item. This lets everybody know what to expect. Consistency makes team members more comfortable.
If setting boundaries does not work, I like your idea about having a one-on-one meeting so that the momentum of the team is not stunted. Good idea!
Dr. Jamie Morley
I work really hard to make sure that I take some one on one time outside of the meeting to talk with that team member and see what is going on with them. Many times they just need to get stuff off of their chest.
Amy,
It sounds to me like you are an insightful leader! Taking the opportunity to make the most of informal meetings and encouraging one-on-one time are great strategies. Having an open door policy may sound cliché, but it is also a sign of a transparent culture, so that employees can feel comfortable letting issues of their chests.
Dr. Jamie Morley
Confronted with a similar situation, I have found that the frequent, informal meetings have laid the foundation for trust which seemed to be the key obstacle in my particular situation.
Best regards,
Tim
Tim,
Establishing meeting norms is a good strategy to keep your team in line while still encouraging their participation. If the protocol states that everybody can write or voice one challenge/opportunity and one success, then it is hard for naysayers to monopolize the situation. Determine the order of the meetings and set time limits for everybody to state their position, as well as time limits for discussion on each item. This lets everybody know what to expect. Consistency makes team members more comfortable.
If setting boundaries does not work, I like your idea about having a one-on-one meeting so that the momentum of the team is not stunted. Good idea!
Dr. Jamie Morley
When faced with a difficult team member, I have found that giving the individual more responsibilities usually makes the situation better. It tends to make the individual focus more on the team's mission than on their individual issue(s) because with their new-found responsibilities, they are more accountable to their teammates. Of course, to use this technique, you have to be in a situation where you have the authority to shift/create such responsibilities.
Alan,
Again, you make some excellent points. By giving team members “stretch assignments†they have the opportunity to grow and develop, thereby becoming move valuable members of your team. One downside to this strategy is that you should be prepared to provide guidance, in case they fail, to ensure that the team or the project does not suffer. Can you think of any other upsides or downsides to using stretch assignments to improve the effectiveness of your team?
Dr. Jamie Morley
All team members need to be heard equally. It is difficult when you have a strong minded individual constantly voicing their choices. I find it helps to speak with that person privately that way I can fully understand their concerns. If they feel their opinion has been heard they may be more open to others in a group meeting.
Nicole,
That is a good strategy. Another idea is to have a set agenda that includes a roundtable section. During that period, everybody is required to make a comment, suggestion or ask a question. By doing that you are assured that every person gets some “floor†time. This also encourages listening and pre-meeting preparation, which are good skills for managers to develop in their staff.
Dr. Jamie Morley
I feel that having one on one time with individual team members is inmportant. I tlends the personal touchand allows for a more open approach and provides a sense of safety that ta more open forum might lack.
Samuel,
Working one-on-one is an excellent techique. You can also enlist the help of other team members. Peer direction/pressure can be a good way to modify unacceptable behavior.
Ron Obstfeld
I currently have a member of my team who is pretty self-centered in his thinking and getting him to be a team player and help others has been difficult. I attempted to increase his responsibilities, hoping that it would help create a greater sense of responsibility and teamwork on his part but it did not last long. I have coached for improvement and have only found short-lived success. I feel the failure is mine for being ineffective at finding his motivating force. Any thoughts?
David,
You may want to start with a frank performance discussion. You might highlight that a key performance indicator is teamwork. Be specific as to what that really entails. Discuss the gap between performance and an excellent rating in this area. Discuss what action steps and detail specific observable indicators of success you will be using to measure progress. Schedule status/follow-up sessions - monthly to measure success. Open and frequent discussion may modify behavior. On the other hand, some people can't or don't want to change. If this is the case, then you may want to take more drastic action.
Ron Obstfeld
Very true that sometimes they just need to vent, but other times there is a personality trait that they "are never wrong" and it can drag a team down fast! They can have great ideas, but can never accept an idea that was presented by someone else. The animosity created in that situation can be extremely hard to deal with...
Gregory,
This situation points to a larger behavioral problem that should addressed. For an individual like this, you might consider individual counseling and frequent follow-up to modify the behavior. If nothing is done, the team productivity can suffer.
Ron Obstfeld
