The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dealing with Difficult Employees

by John Woods

Book Overview

Offers managers and supervisors advice on everything from negotiating a dispute between two or more workers, to working out a fair appeals policy, to safely and legally discharging an employee who's just not working out. The text includes real-life examples.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028633709
• ISBN13: 9780028633701
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

very practical and helpful

i first purchased this book when having difficulty with a co-worker. i've since used this book as a small business owner and even, on occasion, when i've consulted with someone dealing with difficult employment situations. it's important that we all get along and work effectively. when we're not, we need to all work together to address the issue. these idiot's guides are great. they don't include a lot of research or theory but they do provide very helpful tools for diagnosing problems and dealing with them. this is an easy to read format, written well, and it has absolutely been worth the price. i would, by no means, say that this is the definitive work in the field. it is an excellent practical book that's well worth the price or more.

Good ... but for a different reason

I have been a manager in three employment situations and have taken motivational training before. But when I first read this book, I was an employee. As a manager, I'd always thought (and still do) that the best way to deal with a difficult employee was to discover the roots of his/her difficulty ... and then, try to put that difficulty in perspective with his/her responsibilities as an employee. After that, it was simply of a matter of letting the employee decide what to do ... and taking whatever appropriate action was necessary based on that response. However, I've always been extremely skeptical of books (and seminars) that attempt to encourage managers and/or supervisors to practice amateur psychology ... to use "techniques" (instead of common sense and mutual respect) to get a desired behavior. This is why I encourage ALL EMPLOYEES to read this book ... especially part 4 which suggests that managers (not employees) might be their own worst problem. This book is especially relevant to employees of larger firms that can afford to send their managers and supervisors to these types of seminars and workshops. By knowing the techniques superiors use to play "mind games" with you, employees are better prepared to defend themselves against a superior who, for want of a better phrase, is "out to lunch" in the managerial skills department. Personal empowerment is important to your superiors. It should be no less important to you. BUY and READ THIS BOOK!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dealing with Difficult Employe

Excellent practical advice on how to recognize and manage unsatisfactory behavior and difficult employees, to include when to pick your battles. This is the first resource that has addressed how to know you are in a no-win situation and what other measures can be taken.