What do you with an employee who excels at getting the job done but drives everyone else in the company absolutely insane?
It’s an age-old management principle: That which you don’t confront you condone.
That’s especially true in the case of prima donna employees, particularly in sales, whose delinquent behavior could wind up having a major impact on the rest of the team.
Here are six proven steps for dealing with prima donnas, and, ultimately, transforming them into valuable assets who openly embrace the company’s mission and values:
- Before confronting a prima donna, be sure to ask yourself, “Have I contributed in any way to the employee’s negative behavior, and – if so – what actions can I take to rectify that?”
- Prior to meeting with the employee in question, be sure to gather as much evidence as possible to support your case. This way you can use specific instances to connect the dots between the employee”s behavior and the negative impact it’s had on personnel and/or performance.
- When confronting an employee, ask good questions that lead him/her to draw the appropriate conclusion(s). Lecturing a prima donna usually results in resentment of the central message.
- Set key behavioral goals that you can somehow tie to quantifiable benchmarks or metrics. Most prima donnas don’t have a problem getting the job done, which is – coincidentally – why they behave like prima donnas in the first place. The problem is behavioral, and needs to be addressed.
- This is one case where consequences are much more important than incentives. Consider what type of message you send by offering to reward a person for doing what he’s supposed to.
- Set firm follow-up dates and let the employee know what you expect in terms of progress. Make it clear what the consequences will be if the employee fails to show significant improvement by an agreed-upon date.
