Being a manager, you perhaps want to give all your employees more attention. However, sometimes, some employees tend to need more of your time than others. It could be that they frequently ask you to examine their work, seek constant feedback, or repeatedly show up to chat with you. Consequently, what should you do about the needy employee on your team? How are you expected to balance being a responsive manager with the need to get your work completed?

Then, how ought you manage your exasperation?

In a time-sensitive world, everyone's time has become more limited. That's why dealing with someone who needs more than you are able to give can be difficult.  Instead of feeling irritated, frustrated, and possibly remorseful that you're not giving this employee adequate attention, there may be several reasons feeding this behavior. It is the manager's job to determine how to address the root cause of the problem. In the end, your role as a manager is to create an invigorating environment that brings out the best in the people you are ultimately responsible for developing. 

Here is a strategy that has helped in our consulting work.  

Reflect on the cause of the hardship. What precipitated this?

Initially, figure what's driving the person's needy behavior. While it may seem so, you're not expected to be a psychologist; however, you should attempt to diagnose what's happening. For example, maybe this person previously worked for a micromanaging boss, which conditioned her in the habit of triple-checking with you. Additionally, the cause may well be a lack of confidence. After all, many of us have a fear of what could go wrong.  

Reflect on the organizational conditions too. Are there employees they know becoming laid off? Sometimes workers are probing for any reassurance that they are doing good work. Think about your role in the situation, too.

Another successful method is to have managers look internally instead of at the faults of the employee. There could likely be something aberrant in the manager's behavior triggering the stifling behavior. In this case, managers' self-reflection is critical. You could be nitpicking or not giving enough direction or positive feedback.

Ultimately you are viewing the matter empathically.

About Jim Woods

Jim Woods is President of Woods Kovalova Group. Since co-founding WKG in 1998,  Jim has advised on major reorganization efforts, including large-scale enterprise organization redesigns, transforming corporate functions, and building shared-service organizations.

Through his organizational work, Jim has helped develop WKG’s methodologies to support diversity and inclusion, recruiting and human resources.  

Before founding WKG, taught leadership and human resources at the university level.