Every now and then, you might come across an employee who is particularly difficult to handle. A difficult employee could be one who is incompetent, doesn’t follow instructions, behaves rudely in the office or some other behaviour altogether. However, as a business owner or manager, you must maintain professionalism when responding to such an employee.

The first thing you should do is try, once again, to listen to what your employee has to say. Once we have decided that an employee can be troublesome or difficult to handle, we might fail to make a genuine effort to listen to what they have to say. However, listening will allow you to understand how you might be able to improve the situation. You will be able to gain an understanding of the situation the employee may be in and figure out potential solutions.

Another key aspect is to document interactions with particularly difficult employees. This will be essential documentation if you decide that termination is the only way to go. Documenting incidents isn’t necessarily ‘negative’, it simply allows you to have proof of interactions that led to your professional decisions.

Set consequences if you find that the behaviour is still not changing. These consequences should be specific and set out clear expectations that the employee needs to meet. If the employee does not meet these expectations, then you need to act upon the consequences that you had stated.

Finally, don’t be afraid to fire a difficult employee. It is in no way an easy task, but if it does get to the point where termination is necessary, then don’t give yourself excuses not to do so.

The next goal, milestone, achievement, challenge. In a fast-paced, business-oriented environment, entrepreneurs, business leaders and high-performers often get caught up in the ongoing quest to achieve.

But how is this impacting them?

Professionals must take a hard look at the pressures and expectations that burden them today and how their past experiences have informed and contributed to these struggles.

Such efforts can easily lead to stress, anxiety, burnout and a fundamental lack of fulfilment. So, how are professionals meant to shift their approach to work and find a more sustainable sense of well-being?

The best way is to implement new strategies to handle these challenges. Some of those may include

• Learning to say no to others – overburdening yourself is a leading cause of burnout. Being able to say no sets boundaries, priorities & balance.
• Commit to your priorities and develop strategic plans to utilise your resources
• Reflect on your accomplishments and set achievable future goals
• Schedule in time to do something nice for yourself.
• Add a stress-release activity into your routine – this could be as simple as reading a book, taking a walk or meditating for mindfulness.
• Use your PTO – take a day to reset yourself, away from distractions and stress.

Every individual approaches the stress and tension of work differently. There is no cookie-cutter approach to handling potential burnout, unfortunately, so strategies that are adopted may need to be adapted to suit a specific individual’s situation.

It is also important that you understand that the first step towards working on your well-being begins with you. No one else can do the heavy lifting for you. The resolve to start must come from you.

Have you been looking to hire new employees for your business? Looking for the person with the longest experience, or the best qualifications might seem like the ideal selection criteria, but don’t discount the impact and importance of personality. Make no mistake – their personality certainly matters.

Customer and client interactions, as well as interpersonal relationships within the team, can be informed and shaped by the personality of the employee that you hire. This can in turn affect their performance in the business.

Keep in mind that an employee’s knowledge and skillset can be built up, but a personality is innate. Picking a candidate with the longest experience in similar positions, but no enthusiasm for the role may not be the wisest choice. Stay open to the possibility of motivated and passionate candidates who are willing to learn – these employees can usually be moulded into the best team players.

 

When you are hiring a new employee, keeping these qualities in mind could net the best one for your business.

 

Positivity and confidence is key

Adding enthusiastic employees to your team can change the overall energy in the workplace, and create a far more enjoyable environment for all. Energetic employees will always put more focus and effort into each task they complete.

Confidence goes hand in hand with a positive outlook. A confident employee will be comfortable in their role and more willing to take on challenges. They have the self-assurance to convince your clients that they are the best candidate to take on their work.

 

Action focused

Do not be wary of employees who are inexperienced but looking to take action or form innovative ideas in their role. Though not every decision they make is likely to be successful, they have more potential to grow your business than an employee who stays inside the box.

Dot the ‘i’s, cross the ‘t’s

Employees who pay attention to the finer details are more likely to avoid making silly errors that might seriously jeopardise your business. It can also save you time in the long run as you will not be correcting minor mistakes continuously if you promote care over speed.

Authentic

A long history of experience is useful, but to maintain and protect your business’ reputation, always look to employ candidates who are honest and genuine. Extolling their previous responsibilities and KPIs can be a great way to learn about what your employee might be capable of. However, know that there may be a discrepancy between what they are capable of doing, and what they can actually do (whether it’s because of the difference in roles, skill level required or more).

 

Career motivated

Those employees dedicated to growing their careers are always looking for ways they can perform their roles more efficiently so that they can move up the ladder. Reward their motivation, and they’ll be even more likely to commit to creating the best business that they can.

Starting a conversation about mental health is never easy with the people that you love, let alone those who might be working alongside you. As a majority of your time throughout the week is spent alongside your colleagues, you may be in a position to notice when things are going amiss for them.

On 9 September is R U OK Day, which was designed to breach the stigma of mental health discussion in the workplace.

Beginning that conversation with your colleagues and your team about mental health does not have to be restricted to a single day. Rather, continuing the discussion beyond that time and allowing your colleagues to feel safe within the workplace to speak about their mental health can benefit everyone in the long run.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, employers must protect the mental and physical wellbeing of their employees.

That’s why it’s important that your employers, as well as you, should be on the lookout for signs that your colleagues and coworkers may be struggling with their mental health.

Sometimes, the way in which mental health is impacting a colleague can be a silent debilitation, but here are some of the signs that you can watch out for:

• Grooming and appearance may have been neglected, or the colleague may not appear as put together as usual over a prolonged period.
• Appear more tired and fatigued at work, and are struggling to complete tasks.
• Are suffering from severe and significant changes in their mood ie. react more emotionally than the situation may warrant.
• Appear to be overwhelmed by tasks that they had previously found manageable.

If these signs are present in a colleague, it may be the time to begin a conversation with them about if they are currently experiencing an impact on their mental health. Checking in on your colleagues is now more important than ever in these uncertain times.

Starting the conversation about mental health should take into account the time and place. Here are some tips for encouraging and promoting discussion about mental health between colleagues in the workplace and encourage reaching out.

• Actively listening to your colleagues when they reach out and open up to you for help in resolving the matter will make them feel heard. It might not necessarily be something that you can assist with, but you can help them verbalise what might be impacting on them.
• If they don’t wish to discuss it with you, don’t take it personally. Mental health can be a deeply personal subject that some won’t feel comfortable discussing with their colleagues. You can however prompt them to discuss it with someone they trust.
• Ask them the following questions to see if you can help them visualise a strategy forwards in dealing with an issue at hand
• Give them options to help them out of the situation – an employee assistance program (EAP) may be of assistance to them in this matter.
• Encourage them to engage with professionals in mental health if they are experiencing a significant impact. There is only so much that you will be able to help your colleagues with, and that’s okay.

Mental health is slowly becoming a more discussable topic in the workplace, but there might be a number of factors that impact how a person is able to reach out to others. By promoting open and healthy communication, you can help your colleagues make mental health an approachable discussion in the workplace.

If you are concerned about anyone in the workplace, or this has raised some concerns for your own mental health, there is a professional helpline that can be contacted at any time on 13 11 14 for further information or simply for a friendly voice to talk to.

Employees are now giving priority to their mental health over their cost of living, a recent study has found.

It’s the result of a paradigm shift in the culture of the workplace that has seen a movement away from the traditional “work to live” mindset of many in the workforce, where working was seen as a means to an end. Mental health and the issues and stigma surrounding it are now a considerable concern for many who currently are employed. Work often adds additional stress and impact to preexisting mental health concerns.

If you are currently in a work-to-live approach to your job, you may want to consider implementing the following in order to reset your thinking and reexamine your priorities:

• Leave work for the workdays and your allocated work hours. Free up your weekends and dedicate that much needed time for a reset and rest. Fatigue will accumulate over the course of the week, and allowing work to eat into your personal time can have a negative bearing on your mental health.
• Don’t work for more than 10-12 hours per day. In that timeframe, count any travel and preparation time to the work hours that you might also be incurring. You may only be working eight hours, but if your commute is long and you’re still thinking about work when you get home, you haven’t exactly begun to unwind from the workday.
• Be careful of how much you are investing into your work – you may want to be working at your optimal best, but fatigue, mental health condition and more can impact that ability. Socialising with friends, taking time off or taking up a hobby can be a great way to take your mind off of work.

With many preferring to quit their job rather than work for a company that doesn’t match their views on social matters, it is becoming increasingly obvious that employees have shifted from the cost-of-living approach to work towards a more socially-minded cohort in the workforce. Working on your career can be rewarding, and being in a position where you can comfortably do so can be of benefit to you. Take your chances and make your work and your life as comfortable as you can while allowing yourself to be challenged.