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 % 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 in the workplace, taking all categories of workers together. But in the general population, the prevalence is around 10 %. In other words, managers are over-represented!
A personality disorder increases the risk of intentionally or unintentionally behaving inappropriately. Of course, we are all likely to adopt behaviours that may be perceived by others as difficult to live with at certain times. These behaviours can be detrimental to our professional performance or that of others. Particularly when we are stressed, tired or depressed. However, the individuals with the most difficult personalities have a constant risk of behaving inappropriately.
Inappropriate behaviour can occur at several levels within the company:
- a manager may have to deal with an employee with a difficult personality;
- a manager may himself have a personality that is difficult 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 behavioural. We all have a unique personality. That said, personality types can be differentiated by observing correlations between personality traits.
Difficult personalities are actually personality disorders that correspond to pathological personality types. To describe a personality as pathological, three criteria must be met:
- the suffering of the person and/or those around them;
- its rigidity, i.e. its low capacity for adaptation;
- the stability of this state over time.
It should be noted that there is a gradation between mild and severe cases.
What are the risks for the company?
A manager who supervises a difficult personality runs the risk of over-focusing on that person at the expense of the others. Faced with failure, they may feel powerless and lose confidence. Within the teams concerned, this increases the risk of psychosocial risks, THE turnover and theabsenteeism.
More broadly, for the company, such situations are detrimental to cooperation, overall performance and the employer brand.
Managing difficult personalities effectively is therefore crucial to preventing these risks and preserving the social climate, employees' confidence in their management and the company's performance.
How do you recognise and manage difficult personalities?
Within the company, the four most difficult personality types to manage in managerial roles are the distrustful, the perfectionist, the king and the predator. Can you identify them in your professional environment? What behaviour should you adopt to deal with such situations at work, or even to protect yourself? Here's an overview...
1/ The distrustful
The distrustful person has a paranoid personality disorder. This disorder concerns 7.3 % of managers*.
How do you recognise it?
From the outset, you'll feel a tension in the relationship, as if you had to rise to the occasion. Distrustful people are distant at first sight. They are on their guard because they doubt the loyalty of others. Secret and isolatedHe does not seek advice from his colleagues and shows an excessive need to do everything himself. ProudThey don't feel their true worth is recognised, so they denigrate others and complain incessantly. Under great stress, they become very procedural out of a spirit of vengeance. RigidHe is very sensitive and does not accept criticism. He imagines he is being maligned and misinterprets trivial events. They generate perpetual conflict. All these attitudes make it impossible to establish truly collaborative relationships.
How do you manage it?
When dealing with a distrustful person, you need to limit their paranoid interpretations and stress reactions. Speak simply and clearly. Avoid innuendo and ambiguity. Also make sure you remain logical, coherent, predictable and reliable. To prevent conflict and tension, avoid power struggles. To do this, don't enter into debates about ideas and don't try to reason with him. Protect his ego by scrupulously adhering to formalities. Be courteous, calm and professional.
With the wary, remember these two key words: clarity and formalism.
2/ The perfectionist
Perfectionists have obsessive personality disorder. This disorder concerns 11.6 % of managers*.
How do you recognise it?
Perfectionists are preoccupied with details, rules, organisation and plans. They show themselves to be conscientious, even rigid, on procedural issues. He clings to his values and opinions. As a result, he lacks height and can lose sight of the purpose of his actions. Excessively devoted, he may also become professionally involved to the point of exhaustion in the event of a heavy workload over a long period.
As a manager, the perfectionist shows himself authoritarian and excessively controlling. He is very sensitive to criticism from his superiors.
How do you manage it?
Managing the perfectionist means above all limit your stress and the resulting reactions (rigidity, overwork, excessive control, etc.). So let them plan and organise their work in their own way. Spare them the urgency and schedule changes. Show yourself to be reliable, rigorous and punctual. Make sure you express your gratitude for its organisation and rigour.
To maintain their professional performance, you need to respect their comfort zone. In other words, don't put them in a job that requires creativity, adaptation or flexibility.
3/ The king
The King has grandiose narcissistic personality disorder. This disorder concerns 10.3 % of managers*.
How do you recognise it?
The king thinks himself above the law by virtue of his superiority. He behaves arrogantly and expects his demands to be met first. He believes he is special: only people of the highest calibre can understand him. A megalomaniac, he is inhabited by fantasies of grandiose achievements whose achievement 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 his own ends. They lack empathy. In other words, he fails to identify and take into account the interests and feelings of others.
How do you manage it?
When dealing with this manipulator, you need to be extremely vigilant. You must set your limits and assert your scope of practice. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of or intimidated by threats, flattery or guilt: "Watch out if you...", "You're the best..." or "After all I've done for you...". And above all, don't over-adapt to their demands!
To maintain the King's commitment, express your gratitude whenever it is sincere. And be sparing with your criticism: it should be very factual and sparing.
4/ The predator
The predator suffers from a primary psychopathy found in among 20 % managersaccording to a survey of 261 executives**.
How do you recognise it?
The predator is a narcissistic personality, just like the king. He believes he is above the law, breaks the rules and acts immorally without self-imposed 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 never questions himself.
As a managerthe predator shows up inconsistent. It instils a feeling of unease and unfreedom. It divides and conquer.
How do you manage it?
If you are confronted with a malicious manipulator, it is imperative that you learn how to protect yourself !
Keep him at a distance both physically and psychologically:
- do not stay alone with him;
- give priority to written communication;
- communicate factually and formally ;
- be 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.
