A Survival Guide to Managing Employees from Hell: Handling Idiots, Whiners, Slackers, and Other Workplace Demons

Chapter 14. The Sensitive Soul

Sometimes an employee can be very well-meaning and eager to help, yet be overly sensitive when it comes to taking any criticism. The employee just doesn’t want to be wrong about anything and reacts to any negative criticism like taking a blow to the heart. This can make it difficult for you to give that employee any real feedback. The employee is like an eager-to-please vulnerable puppy, which leads you and others to bend over backwards to be protective so as to protect the poor puppy’s feelings. This creates problems for you as the manager. How can you get work done properly if you can’t correct mistakes? But this also can undermine productivity and morale when the employee really is making mistakes, and others ...