Dealing with the apathetic employee
Featured in the Managing the Poor Performer training manual
By
Category: Performance Management
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
Apathy is one of the hardest things for any manager to deal with; there seems to be nothing you can get your hands on, nothing to grip. But there is! People are apathetic for a wide range of apparent reasons, but nearly all of them are about two aspects of their life: they don’t feel ‘good’ about themselves; they don’t feel ‘good’ about other people. By addressing these issues, rather than the more immediate issue of performance, the manager can turn this poor performer into a member of the team who can carry out a number of otherwise neglected functions. Moving these people forward can be a fulfilling project, but it demands the full commitment of the manager, in time and in the sincerity of motive. A manager cannot revitalise an apathetic person with one eye on performance levels; the commitment of the manager has to go beyond that into helping the individual as a person. This is made more difficult because of the manner in which apathetic people display their apathy. Sometimes they are the ‘whiners and groaners’, others are ‘No people’. All these behaviours are likely to make the most mild of people grit their teeth with frustration and annoyance. But it can all be dealt with, and this training activity sets out to enable you to train managers to handle these apathetic people in a manner that will help the manager and may turn the apathetic poor performer into a useful member of the team.
The training activity begins with the participants giving their experience of apathetic poor performers and the characteristic behaviours. They then consider the ‘life-positions’ framework, concentrating on one aspect of it. In groups, the participants examine two aspects of apathetic poor performance and expand their ideas to present general approaches and specific steps that can be taken to make the most effective use of the apathetic poor performer whilst attempting to contribute to a long-term change in the way they operate. The training activity closes with a final look at the underlying approach to dealing with any apathetic under-performer.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to show participants how apathetic poor performers can be divided into two groups, the ‘No’ people who say ‘no’, ‘can’t’ and ‘shan’t’ to everything, and the ‘whiners and groaners’, and methods of dealing with each of these are brought out.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 01:10:00 |
| No of Pages: | 18 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers on managing poor performer programmes, on interpersonal skills courses, for basic counselling skills and supervisor training courses.
Download the training activity, Dealing with the apathetic employee as featured in the Fenman training manual; Managing the Poor Performer