An employee could be upset for any number of reasons, and knowing how to properly handle a disgruntled worker is vital to being an effective business owner.
An employee can be upset with his or her job, with you, with something outside of the office or anything else. Fixing the problem isn't a one-size-fits-all situation, and taking care of it properly will take some finesse. While hopefully most of your team enjoys waking up and heading to work every day, some of them may find the trip to the office, their list of responsibilities or a day under your management dreadful. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you or your business, but it is something that you should know how to take care of.
While you may not be on the verge of having a disgruntled employee driving a truck through the front of your building, an unhappy member of your team is still something that you should address. His or her mood could end up proving detrimental for your business. A displeased employee can upset customers, rub coworkers the wrong way and ultimately hurt productivity. For information on how to handle unhappy employees, read the advice below:
1. Don't wait to address the issue
The moment you see that there is a problem with one of your employees, start making moves to address it, Steven Tulman, vice president of strategy and business development at ICM. If you take care of the issue as soon as you can, you'll ensure that it doesn't grow into a problem that's too big to solve. If you let the issue rest for too long, then rumors may start floating around the office – that's something you definitely don't want. When you work out the problem, take an extra second to ensure that there are no lingering thoughts or feelings that could come up and cause trouble later on.
2. Be calm and clear
When speaking with an upset employee, you should be very clear in explaining your side of the situation, Tulman explained. It is important to remain calm as you do this, even if you are displeased with the individual for his or her actions, stay under control when expressing what you think. This also means that you should allow the employee to clearly detail his or her side of the situation as well. Even if the individual isn't able to keep the same cool as you, let both sides of the story get expressed clearly, and never overreact. Oftentimes, the issue isn't personal, so take care of it in a professional manner.
3. Present new challenges
Sometimes solving the problem is as simple as providing new projects for your disgruntled employee, according to TechRepublic. An office without work can become boring, and boredom can lead to displeasure. If you notice that one of your employees isn't getting enough work, or is doing something that doesn't really interest him or her, then try providing a few projects that they can really enjoy taking care of. If the financial plan someone on your staff is working on seems to be draining the life out of the employee, try finding a financial services expert for that project. Then move the bored employee to something more his or her speed.
If you notice that someone in the office isn't happy, then remember to address the issue quickly and calmly. When dealing with the problem, keep the advice above in mind to handle the situation effectively.