A popular topic in the Front Line Leadership course is dealing with different personality styles. And one thing supervisors say is quite challenging is when one their employees has a dominant, driver personality type.
A dominant employee will typically do these things:
– Boss around their co-workers.
– Tell their supervisor what to do.
– Focus too much effort on what others are doing instead of their own work.
The dominant employee will also come across disrespectfully both to co-workers and to their supervisor or manager. If the leader is more passive and easy going, they might even be intimidated by a dominant employee.
Often the dominant employee gets away with his or her behavior if their productivity or output is high. Unfortunately the department’s output likely will suffer from the negative fall out from the irritation the dominant worker causes others.
Three tips for Dealing with Dominant and Disrespectful Employees
1. Treat the Behavior Problem Like a Performance Problem – In the same way you would confront and correct a significant performance problem, treat disrespectful and dominant behavior seriously. Apply consequences as needed in the same way as you would for producing excess waste, frequent quality mistakes, and unexplained absenses or lateness.
2. Be Direct – Dominant employees appreciate and respond to a direct approach. Being indirect will only feed the employee’s aggression. Directness does not mean being aggressive. Speak plainly, be specific and make it clear as to the expected behavior change that is required.
3. Praise Positive Behavior Change – It can be a challenge for the dominant employee to change. Initially they might mope. The leader should provide positive encouragement to the employee when the behavior change occurs. Small, infrequent slip ups might occur and if things get worse it will require another correcting conversation.
How we can help:
Companies trust us to train their front line supervisors, team leaders and managers in the skills needed to manage people effectively and drive increases in safety, productivity and quality. Consider sending one or two people to one of the 2-day public workshops or bring us onsite to train your group on a schedule that works for you.
Register your leaders now for the Front Line Leadership 2-day training class scheduled in the following cities:
Kitchener-Guelph, Ontario, Canada
November 8th & 9th, 2016
Fairfield Inn, Guelph
Toronto/Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
November 29th & 30th, 2016
Corporate Event Centre, Mississauga
