How to Deal with a Difficult Teammate

Project management is already one of the most challenging roles in the workplace. You’re responsible for schedules, budgets, risks, and—most importantly—results. The pressure intensifies when you face one of the most common roadblocks: a difficult teammate. Whether they resist assignments, refuse collaboration, or undermine the team dynamic, a difficult team member can derail even the best-planned projects.

As a project manager, you can’t afford to ignore the issue. Left unresolved, poor teamwork reduces productivity, increases conflict, and threatens overall project success. But with the right communication skills, leadership strategies, and conflict resolution techniques, you can turn these challenges into opportunities for stronger team cohesion.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical, actionable strategies to deal with a difficult teammate while keeping your project—and your reputation—on track.

Why Difficult Teammates Create Risks for Project Managers

Difficult teammates aren’t just a source of frustration—they’re a direct risk to project success. Some common behaviors include:

• Refusing to complete assigned tasks.

• Challenging authority or resisting accountability.

• Undermining team morale with negative attitudes.

• Engaging in scope creep by ignoring processes.

• Avoiding collaboration or withholding critical information.

For project managers, these behaviors can cause missed deadlines, rework, budget overruns, and strained stakeholder relationships. Worse, you’re accountable as the project lead—which means managing difficult team dynamics is as important as managing scope or budget.

Step 1: Recognize the Early Warning Signs

The earlier you identify difficult behavior, the easier it is to address. Look out for signs such as:

• Passive resistance: ignoring emails, delaying deliverables, or missing meetings.

• Active pushback: openly refusing assignments or challenging roles.

• Declining morale: noticeable tension when the teammate is involved in discussions.

• Communication breakdowns: poor responses, negative tones, or lack of collaboration.

As a project manager, part of your role is observation. Document patterns of behavior early to provide clarity and objectivity when addressing the issue.

Step 2: Consult Your Own Management First

Before engaging directly with the teammate, speak with your direct manager. This serves two purposes:

1. Preparation – You can validate your approach and create a backup plan if the resource refuses to improve.

2. Alignment – Keeping your management informed prevents surprises if escalation becomes necessary.

   
   

In this meeting, explain:

• The behaviors you’ve observed.

• The impact on project deliverables and the team.

• Your plan to address the issue directly.

Take notes and clarify the escalation path should the teammate remain uncooperative.

Step 3: Prepare Thoroughly for the Conversation

Handling a difficult teammate requires structure, not improvisation. Preparation helps you remain calm, professional, and focused.

Here’s what to do before the meeting:

• Document behaviors: Write down specific instances of poor performance or resistance. Use facts, not opinions.

• Connect to project impact: Show how their actions affect deadlines, budgets, or team morale.

• Create an improvement plan: Outline clear expectations for improvement.

• Review project benefits: Be ready to highlight the bigger picture, such as how the project impacts revenue, customer satisfaction, or company reputation.

Step 4: Schedule a Private, Structured Meeting

Avoid confronting the teammate publicly—it can escalate defensiveness. Instead, set up a private meeting with a clear agenda. Example agenda:

1. Purpose of the meeting (improving collaboration).

2. Specific concerns and documented examples.

3. Discussion of the project’s criticality and benefits.

4. Exploration of the teammate’s perspective.

5. Agreement on an improvement plan.

   
   

By sending the agenda in advance, you give the teammate a chance to prepare and reduce surprises.

Step 5: Communicate Clearly and Professionally

During the meeting:

• State concerns objectively: “I noticed the deliverable due on X date was not submitted, which delayed Y task.”

• Link behavior to impact: Emphasize how their actions affect the team and project outcomes.

• Highlight project benefits: Frame the work as part of something meaningful and visible.

• Allow for input: Ask open-ended questions to understand their perspective.

Sometimes, resistance stems from workload conflicts, unclear expectations, or lack of prioritization. For example, if they say they don’t have time, you can guide them in prioritizing tasks or escalate for resource balancing.

Step 6: Create a Joint Improvement Plan

Once you’ve listened, collaborate on an improvement plan. This should include:

• Clear deliverables: What exactly is expected.

• Deadlines: When tasks need to be completed.

• Support: What resources or guidance you’ll provide.

• Accountability: Agreement on how progress will be tracked.

Putting this in writing ensures accountability and creates a reference point for future discussions.

Step 7: Escalate When Necessary

If the teammate refuses to cooperate or continues disruptive behavior, escalation is the next step. Here’s the escalation path:

1. Debrief your management – Share what was discussed and where the teammate resisted.

2. Escalate to the teammate’s management – Allow leadership to intervene and enforce accountability.

3. Final outcomes – Typically, the teammate is either replaced or continues under a stricter improvement plan.

   
   

Escalation should always be documented and positioned as a last resort after attempting direct resolution.

Step 8: Protect Team Morale Throughout the Process

While managing the difficult teammate, remember the rest of your team is observing. Be transparent—without naming individuals—about how challenges are being addressed. Reinforce a culture of accountability, fairness, and collaboration.

By demonstrating professional conflict resolution skills, you not only protect team morale but also reinforce your credibility as a project leader.

Practical Examples of Dealing with Difficult Teammates

1. The Resistant Developer: A developer consistently avoids assigned tasks. After a private discussion, you learn they feel overworked due to dual assignments. You escalate resource allocation to management, freeing their time and improving performance.

2. The Negative Influencer: A business analyst constantly criticizes decisions in meetings. By addressing the issue privately, you discover they feel excluded from decision-making. Including them earlier reduces negativity.

3. The Unreliable Vendor Resource: A contractor repeatedly misses deliverables. After documentation and direct feedback, escalation to their vendor manager results in either replacement or improved accountability.

   
   

Key Takeaways

• Address issues early to prevent escalation.

• Document behaviors to provide clarity and objectivity.

• Communicate professionally and allow the teammate to share their perspective.

• Collaborate on an improvement plan with clear deliverables.

• Escalate when necessary, but only after attempting direct resolution.

• Maintain team morale by reinforcing accountability and fairness.

Conclusion

Dealing with a difficult teammate is one of the toughest challenges in project management, but it’s also an opportunity to demonstrate your leadership and conflict management skills. By following a structured approach—preparation, communication, improvement planning, and escalation when needed—you can transform conflict into clarity, resistance into accountability, and protect the success of your project.

At the end of the day, great project managers don’t just deliver projects—they build teams that can overcome challenges together.