Running your own company is no easy task. There’s a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, including managing your team members.
Generally, as long as employees are respected and treated fairly, they will do their job to a high standard. Of course, this isn’t always the case and an employee may become difficult for various reasons.
How should you deal with a situation like this?
Don’t take it personally
You may be fond of your employees, including the one who has recently become difficult. You may take it as a personal insult. Nonetheless, it’s important to keep business relationships separate from personal relationships. There may be a valid reason behind your employee’s unhappiness that has nothing to do with you.
Find the source of the issue
Before you can take steps to address the issue, you need to identify the root cause. Conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to find out if there is a business-related reason for your worker becoming difficult. Sometimes, a simple misunderstanding can lead to these situations. Perhaps they feel their workload is too high or that they have been unfairly treated by a supervisor.
Outline your expectations
Once the issue has been identified and steps have been taken to resolve it, you need to set clear expectations regarding the conduct of your employee. Remind them of the terms of their contract and potential consequences for breaching these.
Dealing with an employee dispute can be tricky and it’s important to insulate your company legally. Seek further guidance to discover potential remedies when you have a dispute that seems to be escalating.