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If every boss in the country could vote on one area they wish their schooling helped them with more, the hands down winner would be people skills. The average MBA holder may be able to sell an Inuit ice cream, but faced with the prospect of getting a problem employee back on board, and you will likely be greeted with a blank stare. It is hard enough for most bosses to figure out how to properly motivate a dozen different employees, it can seem impossible to be their shrinks at the same time. Let’s look a at a few common sense tips bosses can use to help fix problem employees.

Try respect

Often times, when a problem employee begins acting up, it is simply a case of that person not feeling respected or feeling like their contributions to the company are being adequately respected. Resolving the situation may be as easy as talking to them privately and reminding them that they are doing a great job and that you have been lax in letting them know that their contribution is important.

You can use this time to talk about areas in which the employee could improve and you can even take this time to set short terms goals for that person to reach. The old saying the squeaky wheel gets the oil applies here. They may simply want reassurance and acknowledgment that they are valued.

Try working with them

While it may be hard to believe, you could have a problem employee that simply doesn’t realize that what they are doing is considered disruptive or a bad influence on the rest of the office. They may be experiencing problems at home and need some time away so that they can get their life in order. No boss should automatically assume that the employee is acting up on purpose to cause problems. If that is the case, then they are likely trying to get fired and you can oblige them and the problem is solved.

Remember, it costs significantly less to keep someone on and work with them to solve their problems than it is to fire someone, hire a new person and train them.

Try warnings

As a last resort, you may have to resort to warnings. Although this can often crush morale even further, issuing a firm rebuke of the employee’s behavior and even issuing a warning in writing sends a clear message to that person that if their behavior continues, they will be terminated.

It could simply be a situation where lingering anger over a promotion or some other perceived slight has manifested itself. It could take a firm warning or even a threat of being fired to help the employee refocus. Again, this should be considered a last resort but some people need to push things as far as they can before they can stop.

Every workplace on earth has problem employees, so don’t think you can simply fire the ones you have and replace them with perfect workers. The only way to deal with this problem is to take a proactive approach and talk to the employee causing the problem.

Mark Warner is a Legal Research Analyst for RealDealDocs.com. RealDealDocs gives you insider access to millions of legal documents drafted by the top law firms in the US. Search over 10 million Documents, Clauses, and Legal Agreements for Free at http://www.RealDealDocs.com