5 Tips for Managing People Who Don’t Like Managers

If everybody were the same, life would become dull pretty quickly. However, there are plenty of managers out there who wish they could pick and choose staff from a standardised ‘worker’ box. Barring complete automation of the workforce, this just isn’t going to happen.

Managers need to be able to handle all manner of people in order to get the results they, and their company, require. So, what do you do with those awkward souls who are supremely talented but see management as an authority to kick back against? You use the following five tips, that’s what! Let’s get started:

1) Put yourself in their shoes

Seeing things from the other party’s perspective may give you an insight into why they are so difficult to manage. Firstly, examine whether or not they have always acted in this way. Is it something that has started recently or have they always found authority difficult?

If it is a recent thing there may be an external factor causing the difficulties – it may even be your own management style! You need to be open and honest in order to work out what is happening here; it may not be the employee who needs to change.

2) Embrace conflict

Now this doesn’t mean you need to enjoy getting into squabbles with your staff, far from it, but you do need to make sure that you are addressing it in the right way. Conflict is inevitable in management; if the thought of it fills you with dread then you are likely in the wrong position.

Handling conflict in the right way means being fair and direct. Do not avoid it and definitely do not steamroller your way through it. Listen to the issues being presented and look for a constructive outcome that will resolve the problem at hand.

3) Make work goals laser focused

In order to remove any ambiguity that could result in a disagreement, it is important to set clear goals and objectives for your staff. Failing to do so leaves things open to misinterpretation and that could result in a member of staff feeling as though they are being poorly treated.

If your goals are clear-cut there is no room for argument, they’ve either been met or they haven’t. Setting proper targets for your staff lets them know where they stand and makes the job of evaluating their performance that much easier.

4) Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em

Computers in Personnel can help with the recruitment process but it takes time to find out exactly how someone operates in the field, as it were. Regardless of their talent, staff still need to be able to listen and heed what they are being told to do. If someone is being overly problematic you will need to evaluate whether or not they are becoming a liability to the business as a whole. It doesn’t take long for discontent to spread in an office environment; so bad apples need to be rooted out as soon as possible.

However, this doesn’t mean behaving like a dictator either. It simply means that if a member of staff has been given a fair crack of the whip and still continues to cause problems, you have to assess their worth to the company.

5) Be aware that management is never plain sailing

My final tip is not so much one for handling others as much as it is one for handling oneself. Knowing that management is a tough job will give you a better perspective on the task at hand. Management isn’t easy, but that’s why you are getting paid more than your team. Simply being aware of this fact can lighten the load considerably and free you up to do what you do best, managing people.