I don't know about you, but "over" is the most-used prefix in my lexicon these days. More often than not, I'm overworked, overwhelmed, overtired and overextended. So why would I, or any of my fellow entrepreneurs, invite more complications into our work environments? Why would we keep on "problem" employees when we don't necessarily have to?

For me, the answer is straightforward: I learn far more from staffers who are, uh, "difficult" than from those who aren't. And the longer I'm the boss at my own PR firm, the more I realize that it's the learning that I find fulfilling; it's the learning that keeps me going and growing.

Related: How to Manage These 6 Different Workplace Personality Types

Before I explain what I mean by a "problem" employee, I want to clarify that I don't mean someone truly troublesome — someone dishonest, lazy, unreliable or mean-spirited. I'm not running a daycare, after all. I have enough kids of my own to raise and discipline. No, I mean that the talent is there (or at least budding talent), and the commitment and passion for the job are there, but they're just a handful to manage. So you have to find ways to handle them that work for both of you. Here are some examples that come to mind.

Case study #1: The needy employee. Chelsey was young and relatively inexperienced, but she was sharp and upbeat, and she won me over with her hunger to excel. The problem was, she couldn't seem to make the slightest move without running it by me. A bit of hand-holding is expected when training a newcomer, but I didn't have time for........

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