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Every manager periodically encounters high-maintenance employees who require constant parenting and supervision simply to make it through the day.  These individuals inject their personal dramas into the workplace, consuming your mental and physical energies and distracting everyone around them. We once had a staffer whose spouse was expecting a child as the result of an extramarital relationship.  Our employee literally spent an hour or more every day venting about the situation to coworkers and managers. The soap opera distracted everyone in the office.  And the staffer's assigned work got very little attention. Now, we're not talking about people who lack the skills or motivation to do the job. Soap opera stars have good, even great, professional capabilities.  When they're fully focused on the job, their results are usually phenomenal.  That makes it tempting to avoid confronting them.  It'd be far easier if they were simply unable or unwilling to do good work, right?  And it's only natural to feel sympathy for their perpetual plight. Yet avoiding the situation is the worst possible choice.  This week's tips give you the confidence to address these stressful situations. How To Spot Soap Opera Stars 1) Continual interjection of their personal issues into the workplace Some soap opera stars conduct performances throughout the day... 2) Ongoing failure to meet work expectations due to personal issues Employees who constantly miss or renegotiate deadlines due to... 3) Consistent over-disclosure about personal issues Customers and employees don't want or need... 4) Monopolizing your time to the detriment of your team As a manager, your most valuable asset is your time -- and your most important... Click to keep reading and get 8 tips for managing your soap opera stars... Rate this article and enter our drawing for a free copy of "Write A Compelling Wellness Case Study: Let Your Clients Speak For You" Can't access the survey? Just e-mail us.

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