Prezentare Charles Wilson - How to manage Jerk, Prima Donnas, Divas and Hotheads

How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas, and Hotheads Survey

How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas, and Hotheads

2011


How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas, and Hotheads. Copyright 2011 by Profiles International. All rights reserved.

No part of the report may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical

means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

PublisherProfiles Research InstituteDario Priolo, Managing Director5205 Lake Shore DriveWaco, Texas 76710-1732

Profiles International (866) 751-1644www.profilesinternational.com

AcknowledgementsPresident, Co-founder, Profiles International: Bud HaneyEditor-in-Chief: Dario PrioloManaging Editor: Carrie D. MartinezAssistant Editors: Jeffrey M. Meyers, Jacob FordResearch Analyst: Christine GalliaCreative Director: Kelley TaylorGraphics Assistants: Colton Canava

2© 2011 Profiles Internationalwww.profilesresearch.com

http://www.profilesinternational.com/


Profiles International offers assessment solutions that enable organizations to select

the right people and develop

them to their full potential.

About Us



Introduction

Objectives

Research Methodology

Quotes from Survey Participants

Data Analysis

Top 10 Best Practices

About Profiles International

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How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas and Hotheads

© 2011 Profiles Internationalwww.profilesresearch.com


Recently, Profiles International conducted a survey entitled, “How to

Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas,

and Hotheads.”

This survey

addresses an important issue facing many organizations who manage

difficult high performers.

In today’s economy, companies feel the pressure to hire and retain

top-performing employees regardless of their personality. We found in

our study that most of these high performers tend to come with

difficult personalities. While these employees may increase

productivity and efficiency, we sought to find whether the added

cost

of managing these difficult employees outweighs their benefits.

Our goal: to learn how

companies are rising to the

challenges

of managing

difficult high performers.

Introduction




© 2011 Profiles Internationalwww.profilesresearch.com 6

Given the importance of learning how to work with difficult employees, our study had three objectives:

1.

Identify the prevalence of difficult high performers in the workplace and how they can influence an organization.

2.

Uncover the sources of challenges companies face when managing difficult high performers.

3.

Understand how an organization copes with high-

performing employees who have difficult personalities.

Objectives

“Today's workplaces definitely are overrun with prima donnas and divas and we seem to just live with these difficult personalities.”

Survey participant



Research methodology


The “How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas, and Hotheads”

survey was designed to collect data from employees and managers working with people who have difficult personalities.

The data was gathered between January 1, 2010 with continual updates throughout 2011 through voluntary online survey participation.

We had 402 participants from multiple industries.

Total Participants = 402

Participants –

Company Size



Quotes from survey participants:

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Level of prevalence

More than half of the survey participants claimed at least 25% of high performers in their organization had difficult personalities.

ImplicationsThe personal qualities that make some employees difficult also makes them successful at their jobs. For example, a high-performing sales rep might be focused on achieving her individual goals yet have little regard for others. Or, a financial analyst might be so detail-oriented that he has a difficult time adjusting to any departmental or organizational change.

It is important to understand why individuals respond in a particular manner, and if that behavior is conducive to success within the organization’s accepted cultural boundaries.

*Figures above are in percentages

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Q1. What percentage of high performers in your organization have

"difficult" personalities?



How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas, and Hotheads Survey10

Q2. What roles do your "difficult" high performers play in your organization?

Roles

Respondents identified sales and operations departments as common locations for difficult high performers.

ImplicationsKnowing where to look for difficult high performers is the first

step in addressing any issues with difficult employees in the organization. Once identified, managers should seek to understand the goals and objectives of the difficult employees. Understanding the personality and characteristics of these employees gives managers confidence

when addressing the problem.

It is also important to note that difficult high performers can be found in almost any department. Although sales and operations departments have the most difficult high performers, there are difficult employees represented in almost every different area of the organization.





Special treatment

Nearly three-quarters of respondents found it unacceptable for a manager to give high-performing employees any type of special treatment when managing

their challenging behavior. It is interesting to note that these

data correlate to Q1 that asked about the percentage of difficult employees in a workplace (25%).

ImplicationsAs a manager, “special treatment”

is largely the perception of others toward an individual. As the data suggest, the last message a manager wants to send to his employees is that bad behavior is rewarded with personal consideration.

However, “special treatment”

could be an acknowledgement of an individual’s needs or an additional effort to enable their success. With these enablers comes commitment and accountability on the employee’s part to deliver results without adversely impacting others on the team.

Q3. It is acceptable for managers to give special treatment to "difficult" high performers.




Defining success

Surprisingly, only about half of the managers we surveyed could identify what makes a high-performing employee successful.

ImplicationsManagers should make an effort to understand what makes their high performers successful so that hiring managers can look for these

traits in prospective employees. Conversely, it is important to understand

failure points and why some employees are not successful. Understanding success

factors can also better help leaders focus training and development opportunities.

It is also important to go beyond simple anecdotes and casual encounters to get consistent, objective,

and comprehensive information on your employees. A well implemented assessment process will help managers achieve this goal.

Q4. Our managers know what makes our high performers successful.




Behavior

Fewer than one-third of survey participants believed managers in their organization really understood why their difficult high performers behaved the way they did.

ImplicationsManagers must seek to understand the unique personality and behavioral traits of each difficult employee. Managers can establish a baseline for how difficult employees will interact with other individuals or team members. Knowing the behavioral tendencies can help managers predict the behavior of difficult employees and respond appropriately for the sake of the team.

Developing a knowledge of behavioral tendencies also helps managers identify behavior that deviates from established norms. Sudden behavior change can be a sign of other issues in their lives that may impact their performance and that managers or coworkers

can address proactively to minimize disruption.

Q5. Our managers understand why their "difficult" high performers behave the way they do.




Effective management

When managing difficult high performers, over 75% of survey participants do not believe that managers in their organization are able to effectively manage such employees.

ImplicationsManaging difficult high performers is especially challenging for

inexperienced managers. Heavy-handed punishments and reprimands run the risk of de-

motivating the high performer and give them a reason to leave the organization. Conversely, if managers do not address disruptive behavior, they

can de-

motivate other members of the team and potentially trigger devastating workplace harassment lawsuits.

Each individual has unique challenges and each manager has a unique management style. Managers should be acutely aware of their natural management style, and limitations, so that they are able to more

effectively adapt to each situation.

Q6. Our managers manage "difficult" high performers effectively.




Cost analysis

Nearly two-thirds of survey participants believe that when it comes to managing challenging high performers, the costs tend to outweigh the benefits.

ImplicationsManagers must evaluate and properly weigh the costs of managing a difficult employee with the benefits of working with the employee. A high performer may bring in more business for himself, but he may be distracting others from their full potential.

Everyone is replaceable and it can be tempting to terminate a difficult high-

performer. But this might not be the best decision for the organization. Not only will you lose a productive employee, but that same employee may go work for a competitor and that could come back to haunt you.

However, the most costly activity is to do

nothing. Managers must make sure the high performer is aware of his behavior and take action to coach them to minimize disruption to others. A manager who takes no action risks lawsuits, attrition, and bad PR.

Q7. The cost of managing "difficult" high performers exceeds the

benefit.




Methods of managementAccording to the survey participants, individual coaching is the

most widely used

method for managing difficult high performers.

ImplicationsThe impact of coaching is maximized when managers understand the

critical aspects of the compatibility between manager and employee. Managers should seek to understand objectives, motives, and the communication styles of all individuals before coaching begins. Personality assessments give managers a foundation for coaching. Although individual coaching may appear to take the most time away from the

manager, the benefits of turning a difficult high performer into

a high performer is worth the time and energy.

Q8. We provide our managers which of the following to better manage "difficult" high performers?




Tools for managing

Over 60% of survey participants stated that difficult high performers receive individual coaching to support them in working better with others.

Implications“Calling out”

a high performer in a group is a recipe for disaster, and high performers

can be even more disruptive in group sessions that they have little interest in attending. These people can also become defensive in coaching sessions without objective information. Personality assessments can provide this objectivity and enhance coaching. Managers should look to use coaching reports and assessments to provide difficult employees with objective materials that communicate the need for change.

Q9. We provide our "difficult" high performers which of the following to work better with others?




Personality profiles

Only about one-in-five managers utilize personality profiles to help them coach and manage their difficult high performers.

ImplicationsThe majority of managers who participated in this survey indicate that they do not use assessments to work with difficult high performers. There is a tremendous opportunity to leverage well-established, objective tools to help with this important task.

Many organizations use assessments during the recruiting and selection

processes; information from those assessments can be very helpful throughout the employee life cycle.

Organizations that use prehire

assessments should investigate whether the information from the assessment is valid for management and coaching. If so, then they should train their managers in the proper use of the assessments for these applications. Organizations that don’t use assessments are missing out on a powerful tool that helps organizations manage, train,

and hire employees.

Q10. Our managers use personality profiles to manage "difficult"

high performers.




Personality profiles

Fewer than one quarter of respondents stated that their difficult high performers receive personality profiles to assist them in working well with others.

ImplicationsThe results of this survey indicate that there is a general lack

of awareness among employees. If a manager has the capability to show how the

difficult employee negatively impacts coworkers

and the team, they will be more inclined to change. Self-awareness is an important key to working with others in a professional setting.

Personality profiles provide consistent, objective information not only on difficult high performers, but also on their manager and people with whom they interact. If everyone participates in the assessment, then many scenarios can be run to assess compatibility with managers, coworkers ,and teams.

This information and heightened level

of awareness—combined with coaching—

helps improve relationships and team productivity.

Q11. Our "difficult" high performers receive personality profiles to work better with others.




Policy

Nearly ninety percent of participants indicated that their managers are very knowledgeable on the policies towards workplace violence and harassment.

ImplicationsThe results of this question show that almost every organization

is in tune with the importance of communicating valuable information to employees. Communicate the policies toward violence and harassment regularly and especially in situations where a difficult employee shows signs of aggression and disrespect.

The other main implication of the results

indicates that managers are well-

informed of the policies that many difficult employees are possibly violating. Managers have the necessary information concerning policies and procedures, but there appears to be a disconnect with some of the difficult employees.

Q12. Our managers are knowledgeable about our policy towards workplace violence and harassment.



Top 10 best practices of managing a difficult employee


1.

Have a discussion about the problem at a meeting with the employees involved.

2.

Have a one-on-one conversation.

3.

Consult with other managers and your boss.

4.

Write clearer guidelines for the employee.

5.

Make yourself available for additional training with employee.

6.

Provide the employee with outside training.

7.

Schedule a formal employee review meeting, even if it’s not time for a scheduled review.

8.

Ask the employee to submit reports to you about how he or she is

seeking to change.

9.

Put the employee on probation for a specified amount of time.

10.For a more serious problem, terminate the employee immediately, explain the cause and provide pay for any hours already worked.

Our research clearly shows that

managers need assistance in

managing their difficult high-

performing employees.

Contact us to learn how we can

help you.

Profiles International

(866) 751-1644

www.profilesinternational.com

Need help?



Recommended Next Steps

Profiles International offers assessment solutions that enable organizations to select

the right people and develop

them to their full potential.

If you would like to learn more about how Profiles can help you manage difficult employees then contact us for a complimentary, risk-free study .

Companies who work with us gain a competitive advantage by understanding their people at the deepest levels: how they think, their natural tendencies, behaviors and preferences, and attitudes toward key workplace issues. We are highly confident that your organization will find this risk-free study to be of great value.

Profiles can help you ensure that you have the right people in the right jobs to achieve your objectives.

Call us today at 1‐866‐751‐1644.

Special Offer:Risk-free study Call us today.


Prezentare Charles Wilson - How to manage Jerk, Prima Donnas, Divas and Hotheads

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Transcript of Prezentare Charles Wilson - How to manage Jerk, Prima Donnas, Divas and Hotheads