Difficult Employee, Coursework Example

Topic A: What are your observations about Sally’s behavior? What consequences might arise for the health department because of her actions? If you were the director, how you would handle this situation?

A difficult employee is a person who does not comply with performance expectations of his work as required by his organizations Manager. Sally is an example of a difficult employee but this does not mean she is a bad person. The manager in this case has the duty to take the problem out of sally but not to take her out.

A commonly used strategy applicable in this case is firing and hiring a new employee but this has various shortcomings which makes it a solution of last resort. Some of this shortcomings include; time and cost implications in terms of having to replace her, retraining of the new employee would be cumbersome, the remaining employees would have damaged morale and the possibility of having to face wrongful termination lawsuit these among other reasons disqualify firing as the best solution (Bell & Smith, 2004).

The best and most cost effective solution for dealing with sally would be to try and improve on her performance on a gradual basis. The manager can focus on improving sally’s actions based on what she can do and not on what she cannot do.

The manager can counsel and coach sally before taking disciplinary measures. If after sometime there is no evidence of slightest change, corrective disciplinary action should be taken against her. The manager should be firm with sally by addressing the problem directly; exercise fairness’ by telling her that she will only be allowed to enroll for the evening classes if she completes her assignments on time. The manager should take care of sally and this show of concern will prompt sally to change from her destructive habits (Bergman, & Thomas, 1996).

The manager ought to be assertive by confronting not only sally but the Maternal and Health Child Director, Mary Enfant by discussing sally’s behavior and overall effect this has had on the smooth running of the hospital and jointly propose a long term solution focusing on improving sally’s performance.

In approaching the Director, the manager should make her understand that by taking joint action, they will be acting on the best interest of sally.

References

Bell , H. A. & Smith, M. D., (2004). Winning With Difficult People (Barron’s Business Success Guides). Barron’s Educational Series; 3rd edition.

Bergman, G .E., & Thomas, J., (1996). The dynamics of behavioral response to conflict in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, (Volume 69 Part 4 pp 377).