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Crucial Skills | A Blog by Crucial Learning

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 • VOL. 19 ISSUE 36

Hi John,

On August 30th we changed our company name and brand—we are now Crucial Learning. We announced the change across various media—and we'll continue to for the next few weeks—but due to our domain change some of our emails and communications did not get through.

So there's a chance you didn't receive Crucial Skills or our announcements last week. For that we apologize. You can learn more about the changes we made to our brand, courses, and more by clicking the button below. We'll expound on these changes in the coming weeks and how they will improve your learning and facilitating.
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And yet much remains the same. Crucial Skills is still a Q&A column, now in its nineteenth year, where our authors and experts answer your questions about how to better handle crucial moments. Today's response comes from Brittney Maxfield, a director and sixteen-year veteran of Crucial Conversations.

If you'd like to ask our Crucial Skills team a question, you can do so here. For questions or comments about the newsletter or your subscription, email the editor.

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WORKING WITH A DIFFICULT DIRECT REPORT

by Brittney Maxfield

I have a direct report. He is very volatile, not at all a team player. Everyone gets along great in the department except him. He always tries to point out everyone’s faults but not his own. He is very difficult to talk to. How can I overcome this?

Signed,
Leader of Difficult Direct Report

Dear Leader,

Nothing tests your confidence and motivation as a leader more than a difficult direct report. When I first had the opportunity to manage people, I naively thought, “Wow, I’m pretty good at this.” My small team was efficient, avoided drama, enjoyed working together, and executed well. Surely, I thought, I must be a natural leader.

A few years later, I took a new role and had the opportunity to manage a new team. This team included people with various levels of experience, dynamic personalities, and even what I categorized as a few bad attitudes. I entered the role with naïve excitement that faded quickly. Leading this team wasn’t easy and I struggled to do it well.

So, I empathize with your challenge. It only takes one difficult direct report to make your job as a leader challenging. And it sounds like in your case, this direct report is also making it miserable for others on your team. Let me share a few tips to help you navigate this situation.
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Oppression can only survive through silence.
 

-Carmen de Monteflores