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How to handle a cranky team member

Scenario:

You have been working on a team where a team member has been throwing tantrums on every decision made.

He has been involved in some of them but claims to not be engaged. He keeps complaining of not being kept in loop, does not react positively to feedback and generally shirks responsibility.

These are symptoms that something else is wrong.


How do you go about managing this scenario?




Start with the basic sanity questions:

  • Is the team member experienced?
  • Are you in a high stress work environment?
  • Are there enough safety outlets built into the daily work routines?
  • Does the team member have enough support to handle the current responsibility?
  • Does the team member have any personal challenges that they need help with?

Work on context specific questions:

  • Does the team member exhibit the behavior consistently?
  • Does the team member have any specific area of challenge?
  • Does the team member exhibit objective interest towards a specific area of work? Is that something that is attainable?
  • Does the team member have irrefutable facts that are being ignored all the time?
Work on a specific action plan and involve people - if needed

  • Work on the information available to engage with the person more objectively.
  • Work on having a broader picture - for every one to understand what is at stake and what is the context.
  • Work on clear direction towards what needs to be done in terms of now, next, later.
  • Get a confirmation that plan is acceptable by every one. Compromises does not work, consensus does.
  • Followup on the plan to get that to completion. 
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