It is an unpleasant but true fact of life that new supervisors and managers frequently deal with direct reports who deliberately try to make life difficult. Other times, an employee's behavior, such as absenteeism, tardiness, constant complaining or violation of compliance issues will necessitate a quick, effective and firm intervention on the part of the new manager. New managers or supervisors who don't know how to handle these difficult situations can quickly lose their credibility and effectiveness.