Rethinking ‘Difficult’ Employees: Leanne Bridges on Understanding Underlying Motivations

In a recent LinkedIn post, Leanne Bridges explores the common workplace tendency to label individuals as “difficult” and argues for a more nuanced understanding of their behavior. Bridges challenges the initial assumption that someone is inherently problematic, suggesting instead that their actions often stem from unaddressed needs or past negative experiences.

Bridges begins by recounting her own past assumptions about colleagues she perceived as difficult. She highlights typical behaviors that can lead to such judgments:

“They found reasons to disagree rather than help move things forward. They found problems and never solutions. They blamed other teams rather than taking ownership.”

However, Bridges explains that a shift in her perspective occurred after undergoing training on human cognition. This led her to realize that her initial assumptions were often incorrect. She posits that behind seemingly difficult behavior, there are frequently a multitude of reasons, many of which are overlooked.

Challenging Assumptions About Workplace Behavior

According to Leanne Bridges, what appears as resistance or negativity might actually be a sign of misunderstanding or fear. She elaborates on potential alternative interpretations of challenging behavior:

“They didn’t understand what was being asked. They’d done something like it before and it had gone wrong. They didn’t want to look daft in front of everyone.”

Bridges argues that this realization is crucial, particularly when managers need to address issues with team members. She uses the example of a person in a management meeting who consistently raises objections to new ideas. While this person might be perceived as negative, Bridges suggests they could be reacting to a pattern of previous ideas being abandoned after a promising start.

The Impact of Perceptions on Interactions

As Leanne Bridges notes, the perception of someone being “awkward” can predetermine a negative interaction. “Once you’ve decided someone is being awkward, you walk in annoyed. They can tell. They get defensive. It makes everything harder.” This adversarial mindset, Bridges explains, escalates conflict and hinders productive conversation.

Bridges advocates for removing the assumption of malice or inherent difficulty from the equation. By reframing the situation as simply a problem to be solved, rather than a personal confrontation, the interaction becomes less emotional and more efficient.

“Take the assumption out and it’s just a problem to sort out. Less emotive. Easier. Usually a lot quicker.”

This approach, Bridges concludes, is not just a coaching technique but a fundamental principle for effective problem-solving. It allows individuals to address the root cause of an issue rather than just the immediate symptom, leading to more sustainable solutions.

In essence, Leanne Bridges’s insights from her LinkedIn post encourage leaders to adopt a more empathetic and investigative stance when encountering challenging behaviors, ultimately fostering more constructive workplace dynamics.