7 Steps to Identify and Manage Difficult Employee Situations

As your pharmacy grows and a larger staff becomes necessary, interpersonal conflicts will be inevitable. It can be difficult to focus on the daily tasks associated with pharmacy ownership if you are constantly mediating employee issues. To reduce time wasted on drama-filled relationships and increase the productive energy needed to manage and expand your business, try following these seven steps:

Step 1: Lead By Example

You will not be successful in reducing pharmacy drama if you are involved in it yourself. As the leader of your staff, the entire team looks up to you and follows your lead. Use your own actions to demonstrate the positive behaviors you would like to see from your staff. If you are a good role model, chances are your team will “mirror” your behavior.

Step 2: Diagnose the Cause

Just as you would not expect an aspirin to effectively treat an undiagnosed disease, you cannot resolve a conflict in your pharmacy until you fully understand the root cause for it. While multiple factors can contribute to negative behaviors and drama in the workplace, here are four common triggers to be aware of:

• Constant complaining
• Cynical attitudes
• Controlling and bossy behavior
• Passive aggressive tendencies

Step 3: Develop a Plan to Confront an Issue

Once you identify the origin of a particular conflict, develop a plan based on the exact situation and employees involved. It may be best to handle the situation in a private meeting, especially if the problem employee is prone to outbursts. When one or more closed-door conversations have already taken place, you may consider making an announcement regarding workplace conflict resolution in your next staff meeting. In some cases, it could become necessary to remove staff members who are spreading negative energy and causing problems on a regular basis.

Step 4: Develop a Friendly Rapport

When meeting with an employee who is prone to conflict, be careful to begin the conversation with a neutral, open-minded tone. Explain the purpose, set the ground rules and be clear about your goals for the meeting. Your leadership will provide a solid foundation for a productive conversation. Set expectations about what you want to discuss and clearly communicate that your end goal is to resolve a problem and move forward.

Step 5: Be Direct and Professional

Begin the difficult part of the conversation with a non-confrontational, respectful phrase that explains the purpose of the meeting. Use facts instead of subjective, opinion-based statements to describe the problem. As the business owner, you should be careful not to leave any room for argument or interpretation. Allow the employee to provide an explanation while maintaining your authority.

Step 6: Obtain Commitment to Change

Finish the meeting by obtaining a solid acceptance of responsibility and a commitment to change. This step demands clarity from both parties on what future expectations are, so it is important to be specific. Instead of saying, “don’t cause drama,” perhaps you can say “don’t complain to others about your problems with the XYZ.” This is also the time to clearly outline the next course of action if the situation does not improve.

Step 7: Encourage New Behavior

While it is important to address negative actions, it is even more critical to reward good conduct to increase morale. Validate your employee’s new and improved behavior with encouraging feedback and a follow-up conversation. A handwritten note is a simple way to reinforce positive performance

These seven steps for confronting drama and introducing authenticity in workplace relationships will help keep your pharmacy productive and growing to its full capacity. Don’t let silly arguments derail amazing potential. Make sure you are prepared to take action before negative behavior and conflict become a problem.

Managing multiple personalities in the workplace while running a successful pharmacy can be difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone. Hundreds of pharmacy owners, who are just like you, use PDS to help lead their staff and find innovative ways to increase profits and stay ahead of the competition. If you would like to join a community of independent pharmacy owners who are committed to industry-wide success, then we would love to speak with you. Click here to request a free pharmacy business assessment today and one of our business advisors will get in touch with you shortly.