In their book, In Pursuit of Ethics: Tough Choices in the World of Work (1991), O.C. Ferrell and Gareth Gardiner outline Joe Batten’s concept of tough-minded management. The tough-minded management style uses a combination of the nice-guy (conflict avoidance) and tough-guy (use of full authority) management extremes.
Ferrell and Gardiner use the psychology behind these two extremes to propose a five-step method for dealing with problem employees. The goal behind this method is to improve the employee’s behavior by increasing his/her self-esteme and willingness to tackle future problems in an honest, open way.
1. Meet face to face with the employee, and treat the employee courteously and as an adult.
2. State the problem objectively, in terms of job performance, and without accusations or moralizing.
3. Listen to the employee talk about the problem in a supportive and open-minded way.
4. Suggest or demand a promise of action from the employee that will solve the problem, if the employee does not suggest one.
5. Be prepared to follow up, and document the case where necessary.
