Top Tips for Tackling Problem Behavior

As a manager, it is likely that you will be faced with instances of problem behavior in your team from time to time which need to be resolved.

Dealing with challenging behavior can sometimes be a daunting prospect, as many managers feel that the process will be difficult, unpleasant or awkward.

These tips will help you lay the foundations for tackling problem behavior effectively, and gain the respect of your team.

Use your judgment

The problem behavior issues that you may experience can range from relatively minor things, such as poor timekeeping, to more serious performance problems, such as rudeness to colleagues or customers, shouting, anger management issues or bullying and harassment. It is likely that you will experience a range of behavior problems and root causes, so use your judgment to tackle each issue and individual appropriately.

Don’t jump to conclusions

In some cases, there may be mitigating circumstances which explain the negative behavior, e.g. illness, stress or other factors, both inside and outside the workplace. It’s therefore important not to make assumptions about the reasons for problem employee behavior, particularly if the negative behavior seems completely out of character or comes ‘out of the blue’. Talk to the employee informally and give them the chance to explain why they are behaving in this way.

Don’t ignore it

Resist the temptation to ignore things in the hope that the problem behavior will disappear. It won’t! If left unchallenged, it is likely to get worse. It can also have damaging consequences at the individual, team and even the organizational level, depending on the employee’s actions and position.

For example, at an individual or personal level work quality and productivity can be adversely affected. A lack of action can also affect the rest of the team as morale plummets, creating friction and a bad working atmosphere. Unchallenged problem behavior can also create far wider organizational and external issues by pushing good employees away, creating a negative organizational culture, reducing the quality of customer service, lost business and a reputation as an unpleasant place to work.

Gather evidence

When addressing behavior problems you should aim to rely on factual information and direct observations rather than hearsay or subjective opinions wherever possible. If you have witnessed the problem behavior yourself, you should make notes about what you have seen. If the behavior is happening when you are not around, ask colleagues to do the same. This means that you can refer to specific examples which illustrate where behavior needs to change, rather than making vague generalizations.

Be consistent

When it comes to tackling problem behavior effectively, it is important to establish clear boundaries by treating all instances of problem behavior in a clear and consistent manner. By directly confronting instances of problem behavior in this way, you will be able to make your expectations and the required standards of conduct clear to everyone.

Be clear about the consequences

When you need to address unacceptable behavior with a member of your team, state clearly what will happen if their behavior does not improve. Always follow up your words with concrete actions. Set a time by which you will both agree to sit down and review the situation.

If all else fails, consider formal action

Most instances of problem behavior can be dealt with by effective day-to-day management processes as outlined above. However, if your informal management approach isn't working and there is no improvement, you may need to consider moving to more formal measures such as implementation of your organization's capability procedure or disciplinary policy. You may wish to speak to your organization’s HR department or seek legal advice if formal action becomes necessary.