How to manage an employee with insufficient self-reflection

Unfortunately, not everyone has enough self-reflection to be able to take a critical look at their abilities and learn from their own mistakes or the experience of people around them. Managing people who are unable to acknowledge their own weaknesses and listen to others is not easy. Some of these people might be successful experts in their field but often their inability to work in a team or develop personally is a problem. What management style should you employ when managing someone with limited ability to reflect on themselves?

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Ask for specific and measurable steps and goals

According to HR Morning, when it comes to people with lower self-reflection, you must go into much more detail when explaining your expectations and defining the responsibilities of the given employee. Have clear and measurable demands on the worker, and describe their duties in specific points that do not allow for any misinterpretation.

Insist the employee undergo training

You cannot rely on an employee with an inflated ego or reduced self-reflection wanting to develop further and taking extra training or educating themselves. In this case, the employer must be the main initiator of a personal development programme for the given employee and set them an appropriate system of training and education.

Go easy on praise

This is a piece of advice you never find in management or HR manuals but in this case it really is appropriate. You must not overdo praise when it concerns people who are unable to admit to their mistakes. Their ego, which is too big to begin with, will just be further fuelled and any ability to acknowledge their weaknesses even further reduced.

Set certain limits

Everything has its limits. This applies also to the egoism and narcissism of individual workers, especially regarding relationships with colleagues or subordinate employees. Set certain limits and immediately act if the given worker oversteps them: people who are unable to see their own weaknesses often tend to blame others for their mistakes or take steps that are too risky and could harm the whole team or even company.

 

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Article source HR Morning - American portal for HR managers
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