| Team Work: Difficulty - Dealing With Difficult Members |
Some suggestions for dealing with difficult team members:
Set clear ground rules from the outset. As a team, decide what type of behavior will be acceptable at the first meeting and then stick to it. Dedicating the first meeting to establishing these rules will ensure that all members know the rules and agree to abide by them.
Confront unacceptable behavior as soon as it happens. Instead of allowing resentment to build up against one member, tell the difficult member how the team feels about his or her behavior immediately. When confronting the difficult member, make sure to focus your discussion on the specific behavior that should be changed and resist attacking the person.
Ask the reasons for the behavior. Set aside "airing out" time
where members can listen to both sides of the issue. Perhaps the difficult
member feels slighted in some way, or does not understand the gravity of
his or her actions. Approaching the problem diplomatically may be all that
is needed to resolve any misunderstandings.
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