They’re Brilliant at Their Job – But a Nightmare to Manage 

Most managers will come across one at some point. 

The employee who is exceptionally good at what they do. 

They know the business inside out. Customers love them. They bring in sales, solve problems nobody else can solve, or have specialist knowledge and skills that would be difficult to replace. 

There’s just one problem. 

They’re a nightmare to manage. 

Perhaps they ignore procedures because they think they know better. They’re rude or dismissive towards colleagues. They roll their eyes when their manager asks them to do something. They refuse to help less experienced members of the team, miss meetings, communicate poorly or become defensive whenever they receive feedback. 

And yet, because they are so good at their actual job, everyone puts up with it. 

Sound familiar? 

The Problem with the “Star Performer” 

We often hear some variation of this from employers: 

“They’re difficult, but we really can’t afford to lose them.” 

It’s understandable. When someone brings significant value to a business, managers may be reluctant to challenge them. 

But that reluctance can result in poor behaviour being tolerated for months – sometimes years. 

The manager has a quiet word. Things improved for a couple of weeks. Then the old behaviour gradually creeps back. 

Another employee complains, but nobody wants to rock the boat. 

Eventually, the difficult employee can begin to feel almost untouchable. They know they are valuable to the business – and they know management knows it too. 

Meanwhile, everyone else is watching. 

And that’s where the real problem starts. 

Your Other Employees Notice What You Tolerate 

Imagine you have two employees. 

Ari is reliable, helpful and pleasant to work with. They follow procedures, support colleagues and respond constructively when their manager gives them feedback. 

Sam is your highest performer. But Sam is abrupt with colleagues, regularly ignores procedures and becomes argumentative when challenged. 

Management continually excuses Sam’s behaviour because: 

“That’s just Sam.” 

Or: 

“We need them.” 

What message does that send to Ari? 

Potentially, that results matter more than behaviour. 

That some employees must follow the rules while others don’t. 

And that being a supportive, professional colleague isn’t particularly valued. 

Over time, the employee you risk losing may not be Sam. 

It may be Ari. 

Being Good at Your Job Isn’t Only About Output 

One of the traps employers can fall into is measuring performance too narrowly. 

If somebody hits every sales target, does that automatically make them an excellent employee? 

What if three colleagues are considering leaving because of the way that person treats them? 

What if their manager spends several hours every week dealing with problems they have caused? 

What if other employees are reluctant to ask them questions because they know they’ll receive a sarcastic or dismissive response? 

Individual output is important, of course. 

But how somebody behaves at work matters too. 

A genuinely valuable employee doesn’t simply deliver their own work. They also contribute positively to the effectiveness of the wider team. 

Don’t Wait for the “Big Incident” 

Another common mistake is waiting until something serious happens before addressing the problem. 

Often, there isn’t one dramatic incident. 

Instead, there are dozens of smaller ones. 

A rude email here. 

An inappropriate comment there. 

Ignoring an instruction. 

Speaking sharply to a colleague. 

Failing to follow a procedure because they don’t agree with it. 

Individually, each incident may not seem significant enough to make an issue of. 

Collectively, however, they can create a pattern. 

Managers should address concerns when they arise rather than allowing resentment and frustration to build. 

Where appropriate, an informal conversation is often the right place to start. 

But be specific. 

Rather than saying: 

“Your attitude needs to improve.” 

Explain what actually happened: 

“When Ari asked you for the figures yesterday, you told them they should be able to find them themselves and walked away. That’s not an acceptable way to respond to a colleague. If someone asks you for help and you can’t assist them, I expect you to explain that professionally.” 

Specific behaviour is much easier for an employee to understand – and much easier for a manager to address – than a vague criticism about somebody’s “attitude”. 

“But They’re Our Top Salesperson…” 

This is usually the difficult bit. 

If somebody is commercially valuable, employers can understandably be nervous about upsetting them. 

But perhaps there’s another question worth asking: 

What is this person actually costing the business? 

That cost might not appear neatly on a spreadsheet. 

It might be the good employee who eventually resigns. 

The manager who spends an extraordinary amount of time dealing with one individual. 

The new starter who doesn’t receive the support they need. 

The customer who witnesses an uncomfortable exchange. 

Or simply a workplace where everybody knows that one person operates under different rules. 

Suddenly, that brilliant employee can look rather more expensive. 

Give Them the Opportunity to Change 

None of this means that the first difficult conversation should automatically result in disciplinary action. 

In many cases, an informal conversation is the appropriate place to start. 

Explain the concern. Give specific examples. Listen to the employee’s response. Make the expected standard clear and agree what needs to change. 

There may also be something behind the behaviour that you weren’t aware of, so avoid going into the conversation having already decided why the employee is behaving as they are. 

And keep a note of the discussion. 

If things improve, great. 

If they don’t, you have something concrete to return to: 

“We discussed this three weeks ago and agreed that…” 

rather than starting from scratch every time. 

Where problems continue, or where the conduct is sufficiently serious, it may become appropriate to use your formal disciplinary or performance management procedure. 

The important thing is to follow a fair process and address the actual behaviour or performance concern rather than simply labelling somebody as “difficult”. 

Don’t Create an Employee You Become Frightened to Manage 

Perhaps the biggest lesson is not to let things get this far in the first place. 

The longer unacceptable behaviour is tolerated, the harder it can become to challenge. 

If something has been ignored for five years, an employee may understandably question why it has suddenly become unacceptable. 

Good employees should absolutely be recognised, rewarded and valued. 

But being brilliant at one part of the job doesn’t give somebody immunity from the standards expected of everybody else. 

Sometimes the most valuable conversation you can have with your star performer isn’t about how brilliant they are. 

It’s about the part of their performance that needs to change. 

Is There Someone in Your Business You’ve Been Putting Off Dealing With? 

Perhaps you recognise this situation. 

You have an employee who is very good at what they do, but you know their behaviour is causing problems – and you’ve been reluctant to tackle it because you’re worried about what might happen if you do. 

The longer these situations are left, the more difficult they can become. 

If you’re unsure about how to start the conversation, whether the issue should be handled informally or whether a formal process may now be appropriate, speak to us before you act. 

Rely Ltd – HR & Training Specialists can help you work out the right approach and, importantly, help you manage the situation fairly and consistently. 

If this sounds familiar, get in touch. We’re here to help.