When Your Subordinate Is a Troublemaker

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Troublemakers are instigators who stir up a team and provoke action. They may say nasty things, twisting the truth to goad other workers and creating unnecessary problems. While they do not steal equipment or supplies, they are guilty of stealing your time. You are constantly putting out the brushfires their prodding initiates.

Some troublemakers are bored, unchallenged, or underutilized high achievers. It could be a mismatch of job and worker. They may see no reason to work on assignments they find unexciting and unimportant when they know they can do a lot more. Often, these subordinates are hurt and want to expose acts they consider unfair or unethical.

Perhaps the troublemaker is expressing resentment of your management style. They may be pleading for personal growth opportunities. Or they may want to get back at you for some negative feedback or for that time you threw cold water on their idea. Alternatively, the troublemaker may be bringing personal problems to the workplace and acting out at your expense.

What You Are Thinking

Nora reminds me of the kid in school who is always giving the teacher a hard time. She is too bright to stay with the group, gets bored, and gets into trouble. I certainly give her enough attention and recognition. I need to channel her energy into a new challenge.

Your Subordinate’s Thoughts

This organization is so bogged down in overlapping rules and policies that nobody can breathe. It starts from the day you get hired and go through that painful orientation. I suggested ways to improve it to the boss, but he didn’t pay any attention. What if I goad our group into pressuring the boss to change some of these ridiculous procedures? Even if we don’t get them changed, I can stir up some action and at least add a little excitement to the daily grind.

Strategy

Your goal is to turn troublemakers around and help reshape their destructive efforts into productive ones.

1. Add excitement to reduce the mischief. Consider whether the employee would benefit from enhanced or different work tasks. When feasible, rotate jobs for the joy and value of learning something new. Start healthy competition among your team to shake things up and encourage productivity.
2. Offer empathy to show your understanding. Let a troublemaker know you feel some affinity for their position because you were once in their shoes. Suggest training courses that could help them achieve personal goals. Show your confidence in them by planning meetings, workshops, and informal sessions to garner their ideas.
3. Give them latitude with limits. Empower your employees by giving them the freedom to make certain decisions on their own. Explain why the company is moving in a certain direction and then give them a chance to buy into your ideas. Let rebels become creative by designing a plan and implementing it once it has your approval. Share, delegate, and eliminate excessive micromanagement.

Tactical Talk

You could say: Nora, I can see you are a natural leader and wonder if you’d like to try your hand at leading this next project.

Or, Nora, I know how you feel because I also had to work my way up, too. Let’s talk about your future and how you can progress. Where would you like to be two years from now?

Troublemakers often cause pain when they feel bored, bitter, or restricted. Review your rules, policies, and procedures to add excitement, understanding, and opportunity. And above all, eliminate the extraneous to make room for the spontaneous.

Copyright© 2025 Amy Cooper Hakim