The 'difficult personalities' of certain employees can undermine the performance of a team or even the company as a whole, increase psychosocial risks and damage the employer brand. Our expert, Stéphanie Roels, gives us her advice on how to deal with the four most difficult personality types in the workplace.
These are figures that call attention to: 20 to 25 % of managers have a personality disorder, according to a study of 11,862 managers*. There are no official statistics on the prevalence of this type of disorder at work, that is to say for all categories of workers combined. But, in the general population, the prevalence is around 10 %. In other words, managers are over-represented!
A personality disorder leads to an increased risk of behaving, intentionally or not, in an inappropriate manner. Of course, we are all susceptible to behaviors that may be perceived as difficult by others at times. These behaviors can harm our professional performance or that of others. Especially when we are stressed, tired or depressed. However, individuals with the most difficult personalities exhibit a permanent risk of behaving inappropriately.
Within the company, we can encounter this inappropriate behavior at several levels:
- a manager may have to manage an employee with a difficult personality;
- a manager can himself have a difficult personality for his colleagues.
But, first of all, what is a difficult personality?
Personality refers to a set of permanent psychological characteristics in an individual: cognitive, emotional and behavioral. We all have a unique personality. That being said, observing correlations between personality traits allows us to differentiate between personality types.
When we talk about difficult personalities, we are actually talking about personality disorders that correspond to pathological personality types. To qualify the personality as pathological, three criteria must be gathered:
- the suffering of the person and/or those around them;
- its rigidity, that is to say its low capacity for adaptation;
- the stability of this state over time.
Note that there is a gradation between mild cases and serious cases.
What are the risks for the company?
A manager supervising a difficult personality risks overfocusing on them at the expense of others. Faced with failure, he may feel helpless and lose self-confidence. Within the teams concerned, this increases the psychosocial risks, THE turnover and theabsenteeism.
More broadly, for the company, such situations harm cooperation, overall performance and the employer brand.
Managing Difficult Personalities Effectively is therefore crucial to prevent these risks and preserve the social climate, employees' confidence in their management and the company's performance.
How to recognize and manage difficult personalities?
In the business, the four most difficult personality types to manage on managerial functions are the suspicious, the perfectionist, the king and the predator. Do you know how to identify them in your professional circle? What behaviors should you adopt to manage such situations at work, or even protect yourself? Overview…
1/ The suspicious
The suspicious person has a paranoid personality disorder. This disorder concerns 7.3 % of managers*.
How to recognize it?
You will immediately feel tension in the relationship, as if you have to live up to it. The suspicious person is distant at first. He remains on guard because he doubts the loyalty of others. Secret and isolated, he does not seek advice from his colleagues and shows an excessive need to do everything by himself. Proud, he does not feel recognized for his true worth, denigrates others and complains about them constantly. Under strong stress, it becomes very procedural out of a spirit of vengeance. Rigid, he is very touchy and does not accept criticism. He imagines that people are gossiping about him and misinterpreting trivial events. It generates perpetual conflicts. So many attitudes that make it impossible to establish truly collaborative relationships.
How to manage it?
Confronted with the suspicious, you must limit his paranoid interpretations and his reactions to stress. Speak to him simply and clearly. Avoid innuendo and ambiguity. Also be sure to remain logical, consistent, predictable and reliable. To prevent conflicts and tensions, renounce power struggles. To do this, do not enter into debates of ideas and do not try to reason with him. Spare your ego by scrupulously respecting the forms. Be courteous, calm and professional.
With the suspicious, remember these two key words: clarity and formality.
2/ The perfectionist
The perfectionist has obsessive personality disorder. This disorder concerns 11.6 % of managers*.
How to recognize it?
The perfectionist is concerned with details, rules, organization and plans. He shows himself conscientious or even rigid on questions of procedures. He clings to his values and his opinions. Consequently, he lacks height and can lose sight of the purpose of his action. Excessively dedicated, he can also be professionally involved to the point of exhaustion in the event of a heavy workload over a significant period of time.
As a manager, the perfectionist shows himself authoritarian and overcontrol. He is very sensitive to criticism from his hierarchy.
How to manage it?
Managing the perfectionist is above all limit your stress and the resulting reactions (rigidity, overwork, excessive control, etc.). Also, allow him to plan and organize his work in his own way. Spare him emergencies and schedule changes. Show yourself to be reliable, rigorous and punctual. Be sure to express your appreciation for its organization and rigor.
To preserve your professional performance, you must respect your comfort zone. In other words, do not position it in a function requiring creativity, adaptation or flexibility.
3/ The king
The king exhibits grandiose narcissistic personality disorder. This disorder concerns 10.3 % of managers*.
How to recognize it?
The king thinks he is above the law by virtue of his superiority. He displays arrogant behaviors and expects his demands to be met as a priority. He thinks he's special: only high-level people can understand him. Megalomaniac, he is inhabited by fantasies of grandiose achievements whose accomplishment lies in the simple expression of his immense talent. For him, nothing can match the power of his incomparable natural genius. He has no use for rational reasoning based on factual data. Manipulative, he uses others to achieve its own ends. He lacks empathy. In other words, he does not identify and take into account the interests and feelings of others.
How to manage it?
Faced with this manipulator, the greatest vigilance is required. You have to set your limits and affirm your exercise framework. Do not let yourself be abused or intimidated by threats, flattery or guilt: “Be careful if you…”, “You are the best…” or even “After all I have done for you… ". And especially, don't overadapt to his requests!
To maintain the king's commitment, express your gratitude whenever it is sincere. And measure your criticism: they must be very factual and done with parsimony.
4/ The predator
The predator suffers from a primary psychopathy that we find among 20 % managers, according to a study of 261 managers**.
How to recognize it?
The predator is a narcissistic personality, just like the king. He believes he is above the law, transgresses the rules and acts immorally without setting limits. Most often, he adopts the mask of the charmer at first glance. Talkative, socially adept and a fine manipulator, he exploits others by coldly planning your actions. Insensitive and cynical, he is malicious towards others. A liar and egocentric, he does not question himself.
As a manager, the predator shows itself incoherent. It instills a feeling of unease and unfreedom. He divides and conquers.
How to manage it?
You are confronted with a malicious manipulator: you must learn to protect yourself !
Keep him away both physically and psychologically:
- do not stay alone with him;
- favor written communication;
- communicate factually and formally;
- show yourself emotionally detached;
- do not share personal information;
- do not seek recognition or sympathy.
* Assessing Aberrant Personality in Managerial Coaching: Measurement Issues and Prevalence Rates across Employment Sectors – De Fruyt, Wille (Ghent University, Belgium) and Furnham (University College London, UK) – 2013.
** Corporate psychopathy: Entering the paradox and emerging unscathed – Katarina Fritzon (Bond University, Australia), Nathan Brooks (Central Queensland University Townsville, Australia) and Simon Croom (San Diego University, USA) – 2016.
