WTF? I admitted it off the bat. Pending my dismissal, all I’ve asked is, what now?
Hire Carnac to can you both. Problem solved.
It strikes me that you (and even sven, for that matter), are being a bit too subtle.
You need to make it quite clear that this is something that needs to change. Yes, you should have done it at the very latest after the first trip you took this person on. Water under the bridge. So do it now.
Don’t just hand him a book or send him on a seminar without making it explicitly clear that his behavior has to change, because it may be impacting on the client relationship and therefore on his job performance. If you can, try not to come across angry - but do come across clear.
Dealing with the prima donna is a difficult thing, and a process rather than an episode. And, not to be discouraging, my experience in managing those types is not generally successful. As you said, it doesn’t generally occur to the “the summer sun shines out my ass” types that their preferences are less important than anything else.
Good luck.
Regards,
Shodan