Help! What Do I Do With My High Maintenance Employee??!!!

There are few things more maddening to a very busy leader than the employee that requires more attention than seems "normal."  And it's a difficult balance - you don't want them to feel you are inaccessible yet you have an expectation that in their current position they shouldn't need you quite so much.  What's a leader to do?

Every have one of those employees that takes of three times more of your time than anyone else.  I'm not talking about the new hire that should be taking up more of your time.  I'm talking about the high maintenance employee, the one stopping by your office ten times per day to ask questions they should be able to figure out without your input.

Because leadership requires a certain amount of psychology, maybe step one should be to take a step back and try to answer the question "Why do they need so much attention?"  Some possible answers may be:

• They are feeling insecure about their abilities, job, role, relationship with you.
• They are not good critical thinkers.
• They are a bit lazy and would rather have you do the thinking.
• Your expectations are unrealistic.
• They don't have enough to do.

If you have read very many of my blog posts you know I'm likely to say a conversation is in order here.  In this particular case you might start with a simple request that they save up their questions for a daily/weekly meeting unless it is urgent or send some of the questions via email.  Sometimes people have a question and before they even take the time to think about it they get up and go ask someone (you) the answer.  If you can get them to start making a list during the day, they might find they find they are able to answer the question on their own.  If necessary, offer to schedule a daily meeting for the end of their workday each day when they can come in and present the list.  That could serve two purposes a few purposes - a daily coaching opportunity (gives you a chance to teach them a little critical thinking), provides security (after all, they are now getting daily face time with you), and it forces them to write all their items down and hopefully solve some of them on their own before the meeting.  Here is the bonus - if you schedule it at the end of the day with the clear understanding they are to hold all their questions (unless it's an emergency), it will likely be a short meeting (they aren't going to want to hang out and you likely already stay later than they do).