How to Manage Frustrated Employees

Are you managing frustrated, unmanageable employees? Believe it or not, these employees may not be a bad thing for your organization. Why? Because they are likely the most vocal in your company and have the ability to signal where something is falling short within the organization. So don’t just dismiss them….listen to them.

Erik Engberg of Mindful Solutions recently blogged on Linked2Leadership with some practical tips for leaders responding to frustrated, resentful employees. Engberg points to active listening as the main mechanism a leader can utilize.

After listening however, your work has only just begun. You are now armed with information that can help you address and resolve complaints. It’s likely that this problem will take more than a day to resolve so be sure to let your team know that you have taken their dissatisfaction into consideration and are thinking through steps of resolution. Yet, don’t do it alone. Empower the employees to solve the problem as well. Ask them to think about ways to solve it, give them a week and ask them to bring you a list of implementable ideas. Then act!

Often, Engberg says, much dispute arises from misinformation. We make stuff up (or MSU as he calls it). A video linked within the article brings up some examples, such as “We tried that before once, it will never work,” or “That’s a good idea but it will cost too much.” Ideas are shot down, employees are resentful for not being heard and motivation dwindles. Again, active listening plays a part within day to day communications, as does responding accurately to questions. Assumptions can derail an organization if not enough information is given or is framed poorly. Is your organization going through major changes? Is your industry or other external factors facing major change? Accurate information is vital. As a leader, part of your job is equipping your employees to handle these situations. Use your company blog as a means to distribute vital information. Other ideas include a weekly newsletter or scheduled team calls. Make sure you are equipping employees properly and are giving them space to speak up regularly.

Operating successfully is a collaborative effort. You can’t run an organization or department on your own; you need each and every employee. Perhaps your most negative employees are your best tools to signal weaknesses and incite change. For more ideas, read my latest book, Managing the Unmanageable, where I address this topic in much greater detail.

What do you think? Have you seen negativity and frustrations as opportunities for your organization? Let me know in a comment below.