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So a year ago I hired an employee who is a good 10 years older than me. This is not the first time I have someone older than me, in fact I enjoy the mentorship. But what makes this different is this is his second career, so he has less than 5 years experience in the job (So I have over 10 more years experience on him). His previous jobs werent business or consultancy based, they were government services. The issue I am having is that he won't take direction on anything. He is of the belief that because he is older he knows better. I have allowed him to do some of his stuff his way but he just undercuts the competition which is his only trick. I have attempted to explain to him the strengths and weaknesses or his approach and provide him with alternatives. But his general response is that I don't understand the business (despite the fact I have created a $4 million department in two years). He is now attempting to undermine me in a very passive aggressive manner in front of my staff as well as lying on certain things.

I still need this employee but I need to shut this behaviour down without causing him to leave.

DJ_150's picture

Attempting to undermine you and lying are the behaviors that need to be addressed. Are you doing 1 on 1's and giving feedback?

Scott.rogerson's picture

Hi there.
Yes he has had 1 on 1s but I think he might be naturally duplicit. I need this guy for at least another 6 months but would prefer if he stays on.

DJ_150's picture

 

 

Perhaps this cast will be useful:

https://www.manager-tools.com/2010/01/how-manage-arrogant-producer

What do you do when one of your top performers is also a lousy team player? Or, put differently, what do you when one of the most irritating people on your team is responsible for lots of your team's success? Whether you see it as a producer who's a jerk or a jerk who produces . . . the approach is the same.

Do we want them on our team? YES! For now, yes: they're producing. IN the future, yes, if they change their behavior. We give them lots of feedback - positive and negative - about both sets of behaviors. But what if they don't change their stripes about others, and continue to tear the team apart? What then?

  1. Give Top Performers Positive Feedback For Performance
  2. Give Feedback For Their Team Transgressions
  3. These Are Not Two Approaches - It's One Approach: Performance Improvement
  4. Don't Stop Giving Positive Because The Negative Continues
  5. Give Positive Alone, Or Before Negative
  6. Keep Your Boss Informed
  7. And If They Don't Change, Fire Them