How to Manage Difficult Employees Who Just Can’t Get Along
Employees have different personalities, which often results in conflict in the workplace. It’s nearly impossible to run a business and manage a group of employees who all enjoy each other’s company. Much of the time, those employees who don’t like others simply will ignore them. But you also might have difficult employees who disagree, bicker and argue. Those employees can hurt workplace morale and can cause customers to turn away.
Identify the problem. Talk to each employee separately and ask what’s preventing him from acting like a working professional. Make sure you hear each person’s side of the story.
Create a plan to remedy the issue. Talk about the plan with each employee. Review basic rules of communication and explain how the employee can appear less blunt and harsh to his co-workers. Tell the other employee to report the co-worker to you for saying abusive words or starting an argument.
Warn both employees that you will take further action if they cannot find a common ground and agree to work together. Start with a verbal warning, and explain what disciplinary action can come next.
Separate the employees if they continue to disagree and refuse to work together. If that’s impossible because of the nature of the business, have the employees work different schedules to avoid conflict.
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