One Difficult Employee Can Cost You More Than You Think
- Leslie Speas
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
Have you ever had to lead—or simply work alongside—someone who was never happy, stirred up drama, and seemed to drain the energy from everyone around them?
Most leaders can identify that employee. The harder part is knowing what to do about it.
One difficult employee can have a big impact on morale, productivity, trust, and even retention. Recently, I've been helping several clients work through situations like this, so I thought I'd share a few strategies that can help.
7 Tips for Managing Difficult Employees
1️⃣ Hire carefully.
The best way to deal with a difficult employee is to avoid hiring them in the first place. Look beyond technical skills and assess behavioral fit. Pay attention to red flags—you'll rarely regret slowing down the hiring process.
2️⃣ Address concerns early.
If you notice behavioral or performance issues during the first 90 days, don't hope they'll resolve themselves. Early conversations are easier than trying to undo months of unhealthy patterns.
3️⃣ Document patterns, not just incidents.
Keep notes on specific behaviors, conversations, and expectations. Good documentation helps you coach more effectively and provides support if formal action becomes necessary.
4️⃣ Set clear expectations for how the team works together.
When teams establish shared expectations around communication, respect, accountability, and collaboration, it's easier to address behavior that falls short.
5️⃣ Tie behavior back to your core values.
Behavior can be harder to address than performance. Your organization's values provide an objective standard. If collaboration is a core value, consistently undermining teammates isn't just frustrating—it's not meeting expectations.
6️⃣ Don't avoid the difficult conversation.
Most employee issues don't improve with time—they usually get worse. Address concerns while they're still manageable.
7️⃣ Use the 5 Cs of Accountability.
✅ Clarity – Make expectations crystal clear.
✅ Courage – Have the conversation, even when it's uncomfortable.
✅ Collaboration – Partner with the employee on solutions whenever possible.
✅ Consistency – Follow through with regular feedback and fair accountability.
✅ Corrective Action – If nothing changes, take the action that's needed.
It's often said that managers spend 80% of their time dealing with 20% of their employees. Whether or not the percentage is exact, most leaders know the feeling.
One person's behavior shouldn't consume your leadership time or diminish your team's experience. Address issues early, coach when appropriate, and don't be afraid to make difficult decisions when needed.
How have you seen one difficult employee affect a team?
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