ROYAL COLLEGE OF PATHOLOGISTS OF AUSTRALASIA

MANAGING DIFFICULT PEOPLE

Dr Kathy Robinson
Education Advisor
kathyr@rcpa.edu.au

Key issues for the RCPA

Education
-

Discipline Specific
Laboratory Management
Professional Quality
Research

CPDP/Revalidation

Accreditation of laboratories for training

Supervisor Training

RCPA Survey 2014:

What are key challenges in everyday practice?
117 of 703 responding RCPA pathologists
indicated that Human Resources management
was the biggest challenge faced on a regular
basis.
Difficulties with staff significantly outweighed all
other cited laboratory management problems
combined as an issue of concern for pathologists
and senior scientists.

Management
Challenge
HR management

N
117

Finance/resources

14

Business and organisation

13

Diagnostic/clinical management decisions

11

Quality and accreditation

HR management
Conflicts and difficult relationships between and
with colleagues and staff members were listed as
ongoing problems.
Issue

Staff members, general

50

Colleagues - conflicts and difficult relationships

33

Conflicts with employers and managers

18

Trainees

Bullying

Workload

One of the most important career skills required

in today's medical laboratories is how to cope
with difficult people.
Everyone is difficult at certain moments in life

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.

People problems can take an enormous

amount of time

The good news

As a scientist/pathologist, you are the best
possible choice for managing other
scientists/pathologists, either as a team leader
or an executive
A good lab manager can smooth the running of
a laboratory, saving time and money. (Shen
2014)
The manager sets the culture of the laboratory

The bad news..

Difficult people are everywhere
Pathology appears to attract a significant number
of staff (pathologists and scientists) with high
intelligence, but difficult personalities the most
talented may be the most difficult
Medicine, in general may be populated by
challenging personalities

Soft skills such as people skills are crucial

for dealing with difficult managers, coworkers and juniors, as well as requesting
doctors
The quality of people management often
determines the quality of laboratory performance

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).

People management is crucial

Good management with poor equipment will give a
better result than poor management with good
equipment
Today, more than any other time in history, science is a
team sport and the teams keep getting bigger and
more complex

Some basics
You cant manage someone else if you
cant manage yourself
What you say
Everything is important

What you do or dont do

Everything is noted

Dealing with the generations is complex

We all have our own expectations and values

Ways to identify and reduce a range

of negative behaviours
Difficult people never go away difficult
behaviours have to be managed

Difficult people are a spectrum of possibilities

Difficult people may exhibit many troublesome behaviours:

rude, rigid, critical, lazy, defensive, defiant, neurotic,

argumentative, stubborn, childish, vindictive, mean, boring,
irresponsible, depressed, inert, passive-aggressive,
annoying, irrational, negative, dominating, hostile,
complaining.
However, few people are deliberately trying to be difficult

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

Most problems come in on two feet!

Identification: Signs of a difficult person

Poor interpersonal skills

Wont listen
Resists change
Does not adapt to work culture
Frequently shows anger and hostility
Constant complaints

Others avoid working with them

Difficult personalities
Know it all pretentious, but no real substance
Pessimist - bitter
Staller never follows through
Low self esteem - feels ignored
Volcano explodes irrationally

Common people problems in the workplace

Low work rate: slowness at procedures, coming early
but getting little done.
Poor organisation skills - mess
Rigidity: inability to compromise, difficulty prioritising.
Disappearing act: long breaks, frequent lateness,
excessive amounts of sick leave.
Bypass syndrome: colleagues finding ways to avoid
working with the person.
Rage: disrespect, aggressive or passive aggressive
responses when decisions are questioned.
Career uncertainty
Poor response to feedback
(Adapted from Paice,E. 2006)

More people problems

Finding the line between eccentricity and mental health
problems
Managing poor performance - incompetence, low
productivity
Lack of teamwork
Staff infighting
Disruptive staff
Poor communication
Unprofessional behaviour

Exercise intelligent discretion

Is it a problem that must be resolved?

Ways to deal with difficult behaviour

Examine self can it be about me?
Test your perceptions with colleague
Consider the cause of your own reactions we all
respond to certain triggers/ types
Dont take others behaviours personally most of the
time the difficult behaviour has nothing to do with you
Separate the person from the issue be soft on the
person and firm/hard on the issue

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.

Be aware of the impact of body language

Practical tips on problem solving

Get a difficult/upset person to sit down. Most people are
less aggressive when seated.
Ask questions in any tense situation - and listen to the
responses.
Listen - You can validate feelings without agreeing with a
viewpoint.
Observe - When you are confronted with an issue that
triggers a negative reaction step back and be the
audience.
Explain the next step if performance does not improve.
Plan for the desired end result. Focus on future
behaviour.
Express confidence in the workers ability to change.

Ways to deal with difficult behaviour

1. Change your attitude check your own
perception try to understand
2. Change other persons attitude show
another angle
3. Take a stand develop a strategy.
Confront/collaborate, take action
4. Run do not let changing others
consume you. Some things cannot be
changed

Other ways to deal with difficult behaviour

Changing your behaviour is an effective
approach because the difficult person then
has to learn different ways of dealing with
you
Use fewer words shorten the interaction
Dont get angry
Set boundaries, dont tolerate yelling

Being nice does not resolve all problems

Being helpful, supportive and focusing on positive
relationships is a strength. If this strength is overplayed though, it can have a negative effect leading to
poor performance and mediocre results (Fitzpatrick,
2013)

Im 100% in favour of kindness and compassion. What

I dont believe in is a boss/supervisor who in the name
of niceness, doesnt do what hes supposed to.
(McKeown, 2014 Nice managers finish last)

Plan for success

Change from following into leading
Identify behaviours - start with low hanging
fruit. Behaviour can change but not
personality
Tackle small, tackle early
Expand communication find ways to
build rapport
Understand unstated needs eg
praise,independence, influence, control

Plan for success what should change look like?

Talk specifically, set limits and follow through
Put in blocking behaviour eg lock doors on those
who are late
Deal with one issue at a time
Pick your battles - there is some benefit from putting
up with some difficult behaviours temporary
situational power
Put spotlight on the difficult person ask
constructive and probing questions
Keep cool and avoid escalation
Shift from reactive to proactive

Dimensions of success
Focus on:

Behaviour can change but not personality

Negativity is contagious

Conflicting personalities in the workplace

There really ARE "crazy" people in this
world and they DO get jobs

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.

Intervention - with attainable goals

Manager Action

Employee Action

Ask questions about areas of difficulty

Identify any obstacles to performance

Clearly identify specific problem

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

Discuss how to measure success

Regularly monitor progress against
defined goals

Decide whether or not success has been

achieved
Record own progress, identify any ongoing
problems seek help as required

Refine goals or develop new goals

Move on to resolve another problem, if
required

Expand thinking to new or expanded goals

Increase awareness of problems
Aim to improve in other specified areas

2014 Towers Watson survey

The 2014 Towers Watson survey of 32,000 employees in
26 countries (including 65 companies from Singapore)
revealed that, for the first time, effective leadership
has emerged as the key factor enabling people to do
their jobs well and determining engagement and
retention of employees.
"Leadership has the most ability to influence the
employees' experience in the organisation. They set the
direction. (Hall)

Laboratory management skills

Management skills are important for
science careers of all types. Whether
you work at the bench or away, the
ability to organise your work and
supervise those under you is critical.

Good leadership can inspire laboratory

members toward productivity and
creativity and help staff work together
(Linquist).

Who are the good laboratory managers?

Traditionally: The most successful medical laboratory
managers are adept with technology, including computer
programs and laboratory equipment, and they learn new
technologies quickly.
Now: Medical laboratory managers oversee all
laboratory operations, manage laboratory staff and
budgets, establish standard laboratory analysis and
recording methods in hospitals, research centres and
other medical settings.
The McKinsey and Company study of successful labs
found that top labs have regular lab meetings, both
formal and informal.

How to be a successful laboratory manager

Set clear standards and expectations
Optimise your management style for each
laboratory member
Listen to your laboratory staff
Walk around the laboratory daily
Learn when to say no
Get to know the people at your institution who
can help you
Celebrate successes with your laboratory
staff

Managing everyday people problems

Give people a chance to succeed
Be helpful and supportive but do not shelter people
from challenges and setbacks

Tackling common problems

Identification: Early identification is associated with better
outcomes.
Timing: Deal with issues as they arise. Become
comfortable initiating difficult conversations.
Remediation: Set clear and achievable objectives and
adopt a consistent approach. Review the targets and
provide feedback on a regular basis. Focus on outcome,
not history
Praise: Recognise achievements and work well done

Laboratory management dos and donts

DOS

DONTS

Communicate walk and

talk

Dont manage through fear

Respect your staff

Dont micromanage

Be sincere and be yourself

Dont belittle workers

Listen to all staff good

Dont play favourites
ideas arise in strange places
Stay in control

Dont be afraid to intervene

What constitutes effective laboratory

management?
Good management is a process, not a single
event.
Management requires expertise, patience,
careful planning and good communication skills.
A good leader not only directs lab members and
tells them what to do, but he or she also listens
to his or her employees.

Good people management

A good manager of people:
Knows the way
Goes the way
Shows the way
Management specialists and successful
lab mangers say that no single formula
works for every lab team. There are as
many ways to create a good, hard-working
lab atmosphere as there are scientists.
(Phillips).

Great leadership is built brick by brick over

many years with each decision and every
mistake you make.

With confidence and appropriate skills

laboratory managers can deal with difficult
people in a way that improves laboratory
performance.

Thank you