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Ways to Handle Difficult Staff
How to Deal with Difficult Staff – A Practical and Legal Approach
Managing difficult staff is a challenge that requires both emotional intelligence and legal awareness. The Cycle of Effective Conflict Resolution offers a structured approach aligned with Australian workplace law and Fair Work compliance.
Stay Calm – Initial reactions set the tone. Under the Fair Work Act 2009, employers must provide a safe workplace, free from hostility. Pause and assess before reacting.
Get Help – Don’t handle serious issues alone. Involve HR or an external mediator, especially in cases of bullying or harassment, which may breach workplace health and safety obligations.
Respond Thoughtfully – Avoid impulsive responses. Document concerns and give the employee a chance to respond, meeting the procedural fairness requirements in performance management.
Be Empathetic – Understand their perspective. This can uncover underlying issues such as mental health, which may be protected under anti-discrimination laws.
Set Boundaries – Clearly outline acceptable conduct. A code of conduct or policies should be referenced, reinforcing compliance.
Focus on Behavior – Address actions, not personalities. This ensures objective and lawful management, avoiding unfair dismissal claims.
Stay Optimistic – Maintain professionalism. A positive, compliant culture supports performance and reduces legal risk.
Following this cycle promotes both resolution and regulatory compliance. Does your Human Resources or People & Culture team require training on how to deal with challenging staff or workplace conflict? Get in touch!
The Future of Payments: Have You Considered Stablecoins?
Payments are evolving—and fast. If your business deals with international suppliers, remote staff, or cross-border clients, it’s time to explore how stablecoins like USDT, USDC, and even AUDD can simplify how you send and receive money.
At iTrain & Consult, our expert trainer, Pras, helps businesses understand how digital assets are changing the game. “Whether you’re a growing business or an established enterprise, adopting stablecoin payments via a corporate wallet could make your operations leaner, faster, and more cost-effective”, says Pras. Pras highlights that “unlike traditional cryptocurrencies, stablecoins are pegged to real-world assets (like the US dollar), making them stable, secure, and incredibly efficient”.
Pras manages digital asset portfolios for family offices and institutional clients, with a focus on insured custody, crypto payments, and liquidity solutions.
Why switch to stablecoins?
- Faster Transactions – Payments are processed within seconds, ideal for urgent or time-sensitive transfers.
- Lower Fees – Skip the hefty bank charges, especially on international payments.
- No Middlemen – Direct peer-to-peer transactions mean no delays or extra admin.
- Global Accessibility – Corporate wallets make it easy to pay overseas staff or suppliers—even in countries with limited banking infrastructure.
- Real-Time Value Exchange – No more holding your breath watching exchange rates swing— stablecoins remove that risk.
Ready to future-proof your payment systems? Our training and consultancy services can show you how.
iTrain and Consult does not provide accounting, financial, or tax advice and assistance. The contents of this publication are for general knowledge and information only.
Beyond the Checklist: 5 PM Tools That Empower Modern Leadership
Project management isn’t just about frameworks and deadlines—it’s about people, progress, and purpose.
If you’re a manager or leader trying to juggle uncertainty, tech disruption, and team wellbeing, you need more than a Gantt chart. You need tools that bring clarity without complexity—and support your team’s growth, not just output.
Here are five powerful (and often overlooked) tools and techniques from PMBOK, PRINCE2, Agile and Scrum—with a human-centred twist.
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – but Human-Centred
Most teams use WBS to break down deliverables—but great leaders use it to bring clarity and connection to their teams.
Use it to:
- Help team members see the full picture and understand where they contribute.
- Set clear expectations and avoid burnout by chunking responsibilities.
🧠 Leadership tip: Start WBS sessions collaboratively. Ask your team what they think should be on the list—you’ll get better input and better buy-in.
📌 Takeaway: A well-structured WBS doesn’t just organise work—it builds shared ownership and a sense of purpose.
- MoSCoW Prioritisation – for Emotional Alignment
MoSCoW (Must, Should, Could, Won’t) is simple yet powerful when used as a team-driven prioritisation tool—not just a planning framework.
Use it to:
- Facilitate tough scope decisions and manage expectations with clarity.
- Avoid overwhelm by making visible what’s not going to happen (and why).
💬 Empathetic edge: Ask your team what they believe are Musts—and why. This turns prioritisation into a values-driven dialogue.
📌 Takeaway: MoSCoW brings clarity to chaos and builds emotional safety by making priorities shared—not assumed.
- Daily Stand-Ups – A Ritual of Connection, Not Just Coordination
Stand-ups can be more than status updates—they’re daily moments of rhythm, trust, and togetherness.
Make them count:
- Host them over coffee, in person or virtually.
- Include prompts like:
🔹 What’s one win today?
🔹 What’s one thing you appreciate—about someone or something? - Use a “gratitude” or “shout-out” column on your Kanban board.
☕ Leadership edge: Set the tone. Celebrate progress. Turn stand-ups into community—not just coordination.
📌Takeaway: A well-run stand-up isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about checking in.
- Lessons Learned Register – Real-Time, Reflective and Forward-Facing
Don’t wait for post-mortems. Capture insights as you go—and use both retrospectives and futurespectives.
Use it to:
- Create a living “lessons & insights” board or doc.
- Run regular retros to reflect and futurespectives to ask:
🔹 What could go wrong?
🔹 What must we protect?
🔁 Why it works: It turns lessons into action—not just documentation.
📌 Takeaway: Real-time reflection builds proactive learning. The smartest teams aren’t just reactive—they’re self-aware.
- User Story Mapping – for Alignment Beyond the Backlog
This technique goes beyond tasks. It connects people to outcomes through visual storytelling.
Use it to:
- Map the experience, not just the backlog.
- Highlight who you’re helping—and why it matters.
🎯 Leadership bonus: Co-create maps with your team or stakeholders. It encourages empathy and shared vision.
📌 Takeaway: Story mapping transforms tasks into purpose—and turns delivery into a shared journey.
Final Thought
Project management done well isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about intention. These tools help you lead projects with more empathy, clarity, and connection.
They don’t just boost productivity. They build culture.
Which of these have you used—or would like to try? Get in touch!