“What do you do with hard-headed subordinates?” A new supervisor once asked. “Well,” I replied, “how do you make tough meat tender?” Many things can be learned from the pressure cooker—that wonder pot that can reduce hours of boiling to minutes, and transform tough meat into a meal. The first distinctive feature of a pressure cooker is its tight seal that isolates the external environmental temperature from the internal. In dealing with tough meat in a team, a manager is well advised to mentally isolate the problem employee from the rest. It is very clear that this employee is not like the rest, so there is no point in stressing the obvious. A good manager may look into the reasons why the employee is uncooperative by asking the following important questions: Does the employee have problems at home? At work? Is the employee not prepared or disposed to cooperate with the particular boss? Is the boss unfit? Does the boss appear to be unfit for his managerial position? Basically, it is in isolating the various factors affecting the uncooperative employee that a manager is able to concentrate on the right intervention mechanisms. If the employee has a personal problem at home or in the office, the manager will know how to help. If the problem is with the boss or the employee’s relation with the boss, then the boss can make the necessary adjustments to level with the employee.

     Another characteristic of the pressure cooker is its extreme, concentrated heat. A good manager may need to show warmth in order to gain the trust of problem employees. More importantly, he must be consumed with passion in bridging the apparent gap that makes the problem employee a stubborn member of the team. Contrary to the age-old adage, time does not always heal. Time, not well spent, even contributes to the problem. A common mistake of managers is to ignore the problem employee, hoping that “the problem will go away.” The problem may truly go away, but in the process it may distance itself together with the employee, hence making it more difficult for the manager to motivate the member to work with the team.

     Finally, a pressure cooker is not totally sealed. It allows some steam to escape through a small spout, kept safe by a regulator to prevent it from bursting. Problem employees must be allowed to let out some steam, lest they explode and bring irreparable damage to the organization. Problem employees need to be reminded that they enjoy all rights given to citizens, including the right to speak. Letting it all out is both psychologically cathartic and managerially effective. By letting it all out, the problem employee can freely express and discuss the problems that act as barriers to effective communication and cooperation with the boss. In doing so, there is an emptying that allows the employee to create a vacuum that can only be filled by the boss. On the other hand, this emptying allows the boss to see and hear through the problem of the employee and apply the necessary solutions needed.

     So, what is the best way to deal with tough meat in the organization? Place them inside the managerial pressure cooker. Cook until tender.

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     This article was published in the September 2002 issue of "The Public Manager", the Official Publication of the Philippine Career Executive Service.