Professional Documents
Culture Documents
10 Robinson Difficult People
10 Robinson Difficult People
10 Robinson Difficult People
Discipline Specific
Laboratory Management
Professional Quality
Research
CPDP/Revalidation
Management
Challenge
HR management
N
117
Finance/resources
14
13
11
HR management
Conflicts and difficult relationships between and
with colleagues and staff members were listed as
ongoing problems.
Issue
50
33
18
Trainees
Bullying
Workload
http://www.leadersinstitute.com/good-is-the-enemy-of-great/
The reality
Nearly every manager has, or has had, at
least one employee whos not so great.
The most talented people on staff are
sometimes also the most difficult people to
manage.
What is missing?
Career success in laboratory management
shouldnt be a matter of luck. What is
lacking is a systematised approach, e.g. a
blueprint for success.
The laboratory manager/director must be
able to lead groups of people as well as
individuals
People skills
While we may be experts in our chosen fields, most of us
have received virtually no training in managing people or
functioning as part of a team.
80-90% of laboratory managers receive little or no formal
training on people or money management (Austin
2007).
Laboratory management skills, are generally learned
second hand (Linquist).
50 - 67% of leaders fail, mostly due to "poor people
skills (Conlow 2014).
Some basics
You cant manage someone else if you
cant manage yourself
What you say
Everything is important
People problems
Having to deal with people problems is the most difficult
part of a pathologists or laboratory managers job.
Although managing your time and resources enabled
you to attain personal success, academic qualifications
do not necessarily prepare you for addressing, managing
and negotiating disagreements that others may
cause/experience.
Diversity amongst workers creates a dynamic and
exciting environment BUT conflicts do occur
Handling problems
Focus on desired outcomes rather than history.
Be aware of your own non verbal behaviours.
Listen and let the person know that you understand
his/her feelings.
Dont exaggerate eg. You are on social network sites all
day.
Inform workers of the consequences of not changing
behaviours.
Recognise and reward improvements.
Dimensions of success
Focus on:
Conflict
Most people tend to avoid conflict
Depending on how it is managed, conflict can be
constructive or destructive, be stimulating or unnerving,
produce higher-quality results or stifle a project
Leadership and conflict go hand in hand
"Never cut what you can untie Joseph Joubert
Crucial conversations
Unfortunately, studies show that when the conversation
matters the most, people do the worst. (Ron McMillan)
A crucial conversation typically has three ingredients:
opposing viewpoints
strong emotion
high stakes
Remember that some quite ordinary words can be
threatening in the context of talking to a difficult
person.
Even difficult situations can end positively.
Employee Action
Acknowledge problem
Agree to try to resolve problem
Plan intervention:
identify steps required
make goals and time frame clear: set
both short term and longer tem goals
Change behaviour:
- think about the specified steps and focus
on trying to improve
-- plan improvements one week at a time
-- focus on the long term goals
DONTS
Dont micromanage
Thank you