Ask the Coach Question Two – How Do You Deal With a Difficult Team Member?

Have you ever had to deal with a difficult team member who affected your team’s performance, morale, or culture?

If so, you know how challenging it can be to manage them effectively and respectfully. In this article, you will learn how to identify, understand, and deal with difficult team members in a constructive way. You will also discover how to turn these situations into opportunities for growth, learning, and improvement. How do you manage difficult team members? Share your tips and stories below.

The key is to ensure you’re enrolling them in wanting to have this conversation. That means setting positive intent, as to what you’re doing, why & what’s in it for them. This defuses what would often be considered a difficult conversation. Here’s an example:

“What I want for you is to maintain the positive brand you’ve created & achieve your career goal of moving into management. I’ve noticed some behaviors that may impede this, which is what I wanted to bring to your attention so we can work through this together & ensure they don’t impact your goals but instead, enhance your personal brand. Please know I’m sharing this with you to support you so you’re positioned for your next career move. So, are you open to having this conversation