Whether you’ve noticed the signs or they’ve flat out told you, you have an unhappy employee—and if you don’t adequately address their unhappiness, that employee will soon be reaching for the door. And you’d hate to lose what, with a little TLC, could be a top performer. So what can you do to manage an unhappy employee?

1. Why is your employee unhappy? Don’t assume you know—really dig for the cause, remembering there are two sides to every story. Do they feel underappreciated or undercompensated? Are they at odds with another team member or upset with your leadership? Is an issue outside of work carrying over to their attitude and performance at work? (If it turns out to be a personal, non-work issue, don’t walk away! That’s a great opportunity to show you care by talking about your company’s EAP or offering an ear or advice.)
2. Act promptly and privately. Every day you sit tight is a day your unhappy employee moves toward the breaking point. It may not be a fun conversation, but it’s one you need to address as soon as you uncover the problem. Some managers would rather broadly address issues in front of the whole team, without calling out any one person, but that could quickly go bad if the unhappy employee chooses to stay quiet, or more if they don’t! So unhappiness is a problem to address with the employee in private, where they’re more likely to open up and work toward a solution.
3. Allow time and space for emotions. When you do address your unhappy employee, expect that they may get emotional. If that happens, respond with calmness and gentleness, and give them time to cool off. Remember that emotions aren’t necessarily a negative expression—and they show the employee is invested. But if the conversation continues to escalate, put a pin in it and ask to reconvene when the employee is better able to continue.
4. Exercise patience and persistence. Unhappiness, especially when it has been festering for months, is unlikely to clear up overnight, no matter how quickly you both want to fix things. So have patience with your unhappy employee, and ask them to have patience with you as you work toward a solution. More important, be persistent! Never assume that everything is fixed because your employee responds well to one meeting, especially if the underlying issues remain. So create a plan, take steps along the plan, and follow up regularly to see how this employee is progressing. Whether it’s changing perspective or changing concrete items, time will tell if an unhappy employee can be turned around.