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Most managers will have come across a high-maintenance employee, writes Nathalie Towner. These people can be difficult to manage for any number of reasons but if you fail to deal with their behaviour it will have a negative impact on the whole team. They may have missed out on a promotion and be expressing their frustration or simply be lacking in self-awareness. Whatever the reason, you as the manager will have to deal with the fallout.

Intervene early
High-maintenance individuals can express themselves in many ways but one thing they will have in common is being difficult to manage. They will take up a lot of your time and can wreak havoc with your team. Team members may even choose to leave rather than put up with their behaviour. Social workers already experience high levels of stress in their work and a problem colleague could be one step too far. Ben Wilmott, employee relations adviser for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, says: "How you deal with a high-maintenance employee is down to their personality and why they are behaving like this in the first place. It's important to intervene early, be consistent in your response and not to let the problem escalate."


What's the problem?
"Try to understand what makes them tick and what their issue is," recommends Pauline Moignard, freelance human resources consultant specialising in social care. Perhaps you can make their job more interesting so they gain a sense of responsibility and self-worth. Sometimes the issues are more deep-rooted. Moignard says: "If you're new to the team and feel they're not performing for you it could be because they went for your job." Or they could simply be sinking under an enormous caseload and be lashing out inappropriately as a result.

Tackle the issue
"Managers need to have regular conversations with their staff outside the formal appraisal process," says Wilmott. Supervision time is a good chance to informally talk about why they are behaving in a certain way. Ask them how they are finding their work and then you can raise any issues. You could point out that it is unfair that you have to spend so much time dealing with them. It is natural to want to avoid confrontation but their behaviour will not just be affecting you but the rest of the team and possibly their clients.

Keep a log book

If you plan to confront someone with their bad behaviour it is worth keeping a log or a diary of the incidents. Note each time they are late for clients or rude to a colleague or just difficult. People forget very quickly, particularly if they are not even aware that their behaviour is causing problems. "It's good to have evidence and to be able to say what they did on what day," says Wilmott. "They may genuinely not realise that they have done anything wrong or have forgotten the incidents."

Keep it informal
Moignard recommends instigating formal procedures only if the behaviour has become intolerable. Otherwise she suggests steering clear of the heavy-handed approach. She says: "It's important to be non-confrontational as it will be impossible to move the relationship forward if you've gone in at loggerheads." You still need to stand your ground, though, and not let it drag on. "Go to human resources as they will have a strategy to recommend," Moignard says. "I know one social services manager who spent two years making arrangements around an individual and then it suddenly broke down because of one small incident."