Don't let problem personalities drag your business down

5 Problem Personalities and How to Deal With Them Proactively

"Difficult people take up space in our brain and interfere with our pursuit of happiness." ~ Author Unknown

As employers, I think we can all agree that each of us encounters employees with difficult personalities.  It would serve us well to recognize the primary types of problem personalities and then learn how to handle them so that the productivity and profitability of the company is enhanced.

1. Chronic complainers and criticizers tend to have low self esteem and they complain as a way of making themselves feel better. If you listen to this seemingly endless barrage of complaint and criticism, the negativity can impair your own health and wellness!  You'll want to put some distance mentally between you and the complainer to restore your own objectivity. Then, consider some ways to interact with them: 

• Focus on their strengths and strong points.
• Ask them how they'd fix the problem.
• Stop the negative comments and help them to build a positive attitude by pointing out where they do excel.
• If they keep complaining about something, tell them what you can and cannot do, and then ask for other realistic solutions.

2. Know-It-Alls might be intelligent and seem to have it all under control, but they may be bothered by some version of perfection that is unachievable.  Others only think they know it all and may become obnoxious and opinionated. They tend to monopolize conversations, minimize the input of others, and make decisions without seeing all the facts. Still others may be skeptics of this variety -- “We tried that before and it doesn't work.” And as unlikely as it sounds, know-it-alls frequently lack self-confidence. Here are some tips for interacting with know-it-alls: 

• Ask them to explain and offer another suggestion.
• Acknowledge their achievements.
• Listen and let them be right when they are, but question them and challenge them if they    don't offer solutions.
• Show empathy instead of anger.
• Pick your battles.  Not every issue needs to be confronted.
• Be sure you know all the facts.
• Offer constructive criticism in private. 

 3. Individuals who are unenthused or have a negative attitude frequently suffer from low self-esteem and feel that no really cares about them. The beliefs they hold about themselves are often times limiting because they originally come from a negative family environment. Small children cannot differentiate between negativity or positivity; they simply absorb what's there. If you have a negative employee, empathy will come in handy along with these tips: 

• Help them recall when things actually had turned out positively.
• Let them know the outcomes of negativity are not good in the long run.
• Help them see how something might be positive instead of negative; i.e., the good that frequently accompanies the bad.
• State your perception of the situation if you disagree with their negative view. This will let them see that there are other conclusions.
• Let them know they can choose from this point forward whether their reaction will be positive or negative.

4. Rule Breakers subconsciously set themselves up to fail because of self-doubt. You'll see Rule Breakers in the Principal's Office frequently as young children. When they come to work for you, their interests are not in following your rules, and they might purposely break them because they do not agree with personal accountability. Rule breakers frequently move from job to job because those jobs have rules that they find restrictive. Here are some tips for how to handle Rule Breakers: 

• Explain that many rule breakers mature into rule followers and would he like to consider that for his life now?
• Bring their behavior to their attention and let them know the proper behavior.
• Be a good role model.
• Show them how compliance with company rules leads to promotions, raises, awards, etc.
• Set up new step-by-step expectations for him toward improvement.

  5. Excuse Makers are blameless. They make excuses to shift blame or boost their own self-image. Some make excuses to preempt failure because they don't feel confident in their own abilities. These excuse-making employees want to look good in front of you to impress you, or they might tell you what you want to hear just to satisfy you. 

• Let them know when they've shifted blame and that you don't want excuses; you want explanations.
• Point out what they do well.
• Make them aware that they have received instructions and you do expect compliance.
• Don't let simple infractions slide, or they will become habitual and spread to other employees.
• Teach them that every action (or lack of action) has its consequence.

 There will always be employees with problem personalities that you may not have picked up on initially through the hiring process. Discovering which workplace solutions deals best with them will save you headaches, improve the underlying feelings of the other employees, and in the long run, improve profitability.

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Jean Hanson helps owners of commercial cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Jean is also the host of the popular Web TV show CleaningBiz.tv and author of the newsletter Trash Talk - sign up today!