How to Handle Difficult Employees (A Manager’s Guide)

Happy Memorial Day, everybody, and thanks to all those families whose loved one paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

On this episode, I'm going to show you how to handle difficult employees. There will always be difficult employees in any organization. Even Fortune 500 companies have rotten tomatoes in them. As a leader, your job is to lead a team. Encourage them to do their work. Do their performance reviews, and talk to them when things go wrong. But how can you do that when you don’t even know who you’re dealing with?

This applies to everyone in your team, but more so to the difficult employees. This episode is a Leader’s Guide to common trouble makers in the office and was designed to help you understand your team members, especially the trouble makers.

In many cases, your challenging employee isn’t just trying to make your life more difficult.

Their difficult behavior often reflects strengths you saw when hiring. But some are simply problem employees, and keeping them due to staffing needs is a management mistake. Your first step as a new manager is identifying which is which.

These five common types can disrupt the whole team with negative attitudes or disruptive behaviors. Yet, many bring unique talents that drive success when guided properly. Their bad attitude might stem from passion or ambition misdirected. A clear plan with specific examples can channel their energy into positive change. Not every tough case is a toxic employee waiting to implode.

But some employees consistently show problematic behavior that hurts morale. Retaining them out of desperation risks poor performance across the board. Disciplinary action becomes necessary when efforts to redirect fail. Good management separates those with potential from true troublemakers who harm the team.

You’ll learn to spot these behaviors and act decisively. This episode breaks down the five types, their quirks, and how to handle difficult employees effectively. With the right approach, you turn challenges into wins for the whole team.