How to Deal With That Awkward Agent

You can probably already picture someone in your team who is awkward!

Perhaps the first one to criticize a new initiative, the one who puts you on edge when a company-wide announcement goes out, or one who just seems to rub their team members up the wrong way – every day!

You can’t quite put your finger on it, but their presence makes you and your team uncomfortable. They’re just… well… awkward!

So how do you address this behaviour to keep team morale AND your sanity intact? Our Editor – Megan Jones – spoke to contact centre experts Dan Pratt, Jeremy Hyde, and Kim Ellis to find out how to turn the situation around for everyone’s benefit.

Don’t Jump to Conclusions!

Your first port of call should always always be to check whether the awkward agent is, in fact, neurodiverse, and that is the underlying reason behind the friction you’re experiencing in your relationship. (If you’re unsure how to explore this possibility, ask HR for some help.)

If you can rule that out, your next step should be to have a quick word with them to see if they realize how they come across – as it may be as simple as just lacking self-awareness and you can nip it in the bud without needing to launch into a formal performance review.

Unfortunately, if you can rule out both of the above, you do in fact have a genuinely awkward agent on your hands and it’s time to take action to limit their disruption.

Be More Objective About What That Awkward Agent Brings to the Team

It can be a hard truth to accept that not everyone in your team is going to be your friend – especially when you put your heart and soul into the role. So, take a moment to stop and consider if this is really a you problem, that you simply find it easier and more comfortable to engage with other members of your team. Then be mindful of that moving forward.

Jeremy Hyde, Senior Director, Customer Service at Sun Country Airlines — Jeremy Hyde

“Not everybody’s going to be your best buddy, and sometimes conversation just isn’t going to come as easily – but it shouldn’t affect the way you engage with your team.

It’s about being consistent in your management approach, being sure to focus on performance and supporting everyone in your team.

Just because somebody is a bit awkward doesn’t mean that they can’t be great at their job or have a professional working relationship with you. You might just need to stop taking the situation so personally or letting it interfere with your judgement.” – Jeremy Hyde, Senior Director, Customer Service at Sun Country Airlines

A change of perspective can also help when you’re faced with someone who takes a life view that “I’ll tell you what’s on my mind, whether you want to hear it or not”.

For example, have you ever stopped to consider how that voice actually adds much-needed balance to your meetings? Even thanking them for playing Devil’s Advocate and bringing fresh perspectives to the conversation, whilst their colleagues stay agreeable and silent?

That being said, there’s a big difference between being rude and saying “this is so stupid” in front of the team and offering constructive feedback – so be sure to call out the difference, and even suggest they hold their stronger views back to share with you in private after the formal meeting has closed. That way, you are shielding the rest of the team from their behaviour at the very least.

Take Extra Time to Explain the “Why” to Them

You may also find it makes life easier all round to give this particular agent special treatment and pre-empt any issues they might have with upcoming changes.

Taking a bit of extra time to explain the “why” before an update email is sent round to the whole team, for example, can help bring them along on the journey – rather than being caught off guard and loudly challenging you.

You can even bring them on side by inviting them to be part of a beta testing group or act as a sounding board for the roll-out.

Dan Pratt, Founder & Director DAP Consultancy — Dan Pratt

“You can really get ahead of dealing with more awkward agents by taking them on the journey with you – explaining the logic behind the decision, the anticipated pros and cons, and then asking for their feedback along the way.

If you can get in early and sell the benefits, they are less likely to be awkward about it all and challenge you in front of the team.” – Dan Pratt, Founder & Director of DAP Consultancy

To find out how to improve your communication, read our article: The 7 Cs of Effective Communication

Have Those Difficult Conversations Sooner Rather Than Later

If these softer tactics don’t prove effective, it’s time to have some difficult conversations to (hopefully) help push their behaviour in the right direction. After all, as a leader, it’s your job to step up and make sure these conversations happen!

It’s so important you don’t let these situations fester or let them get away with the behaviour for an extended period either, as they’ll just continue.

Added to that, it can then also be a massive shock to them that there’s even been a problem when you finally have a formal meeting! It can even cost you good agents in the short term, who are sick of dealing with a negative team atmosphere and letting the awkward agent rule the roost.

It’s about nipping the behaviour in the bud and setting clear expectations very early on in your working relationship with them. Quite simply, the sooner, the better.

Once you’ve spoken to them, it can also help to follow up by calling them out on moments where they are still showing the awkward behaviour.

For example, a quick word to say, “I found that comment you made about the product launch really unhelpful in the meeting today” to help reinforce your point.

Move Them Into a Different Team or Onto a Different Shift Pattern

If all else fails, it may be time to consider moving them onto a different shift pattern, or even to a different team – particularly if there’s one person in particular that they seem to clash with.

“When dealing with an awkward agent, sometimes it’s just about the specific team dynamics, and moving them to another shift or team can be a really quick fix.

Even if it’s just a case of doing a bit of a shift-swap to suggest they work earlies instead of lates. If they are reluctant, perhaps try having the same conversation with the person they clash with.

After all, you can’t really change someone’s personality, but you can move them around to make sure any cross-over with people they clash with is minimal.” – Kim Ellis, Chief Learning Architect at Go Ginger Learning Solutions

Sadly, it may even come to a point where you feel the only solution is to manage them out of the business.

In which case, offering an olive branch and having an honest conversation about their future – where you could offer to give them a good reference with no hard feelings – can be the only way for everyone to move forward.

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