If the employee is “uncoachable”, meaning unwilling to question themselves, it can be helpful to support their manager in handling such a “prima donna” situation.

This may include exploring and challenging the manager’s values, beliefs and biases through coaching, while also providing development input, communication techniques and conflict management tools for dealing with unreasonable or difficult people.

The aim is to reduce the burden that the situation places on the manager. Experience shows that the few “difficult” employees often absorb more time and energy than all the others combined.