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Problem
Situations “Dealing with the Insubordinate Employee”
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Difficult
employees can be a formidable opponent for a manager without training or
preparation. An unprepared manager or supervisor may instinctively lash
out and attack the person more than address the immediate issue. Others
may be so caught off guard they recoil and attempt to ignore the behavior.
(That never works.) In many cases, inappropriate or challenging behavior
is an effective strategy used by an employee to attempt to get things
handled their way. People often misuse age-old truths for their benefits.
For example, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.” When the employee
learns their constant complaining, resistance to change, or outright
insubordination is rewarded with the results they want, there is no
motivation to change their behavior. To the contrary, the inappropriate
behavior will undoubtedly be repeated.
What can be done to reverse the behaviors
of a problem employee, and turn them into a productive one? A question
best answered with a quote by Louis Pasteur – “Chance
favors the mind that is prepared.”
Let’s examine a challenging behavior that has creped into the
workplace over the years and has been accepted and excused too often.
Employee
insubordination
is a touchy issue in today’s workplace. Stress levels are high,
expectations are physically and mentally demanding, tolerance levels are
at an all time low, and questionable ethics and personal value systems
have tested the endurance of managers, staff members, and co-workers.
Although tensions can run high in the workplace, insubordinate behaviors
are unacceptable. While each employee must have a clear process available
to them for voicing grievances, there must be a professional method of
delivering this message for maximum understanding and emotional stability.
Emotional outbursts are never productive. Employees must exhibit proper
decorum, so the true issue can be resolved. Remember, the managers and
leadership team set the standards, not so much by the policies they
establish, but by their own behaviors in the workplace.
Make sure you aren’t indulging in emotional outbursts, tantrums,
and inappropriate behaviors. Steps
for handling insubordination
People
often gain courage and strength when they are with their peers. They are
afraid of losing face or being defeated in public, so they stand firm in
their argument regardless of its validity. An angry staff member will
often involve others to gain support for their accusations. They feel
their peers will come to their rescue and turn on you also. Don’t get
sucked into their fight on their turf. Simply say, “This may not be the time or place to discuss this, why don’t we
adjourn to my office or the conference room and continue the discussion
there,” and
begin to walk in that direction.
Professionalism
is a series of appropriate behaviors consistently applied over time. It is
responding to another person’s inappropriate action in a calm,
controlled, and calculated manner. Not reacting in a fashion similar to
theirs. If an employee becomes irate, insulting, or too loud, simply
respond in a calm demeanor, I
can see this is a sensitive issue and I would like to discuss it further,
but not like this. Professionalism is not about how much you are
paid, how you dress, or which office you occupy it is how you conduct
yourself, especially in times of tension and turmoil.
The
old saying, you have to meet fire with fire, may sound like a logical and
viable option when addressing workplace insubordination, but it rarely
creates a long-term improvement in a relationship. Most people feel they
are addressing an issue when, in fact, they’re attacking a person. When
someone feels attacked personally, they react instinctively. Generally,
they fire back in a similar way. The better approach would be to say, “I
can appreciate the emotional nature of this issue; however, I will not
attack you personally. Therefore, I will not tolerate a personal attack.
Why don’t we take a few
minutes to compose our thoughts and meet back here in five minutes to
continue our discussion? When inappropriate behavior is not addressed immediately or properly the employee may actually gain the result they wanted. They might receive or interpret the wrong message from your response. Your job as a manager is to address the behavior and explain why it is unacceptable. Then discuss an alternative with the employee that is acceptable. Excellent behavior should become the standard for all employees with focused attention, proper example, explanation, and consistent reinforcement on the manager’s part.
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For more information and techniques on this topic Dealing With Problem Employees, 2nd
Edition -- Book By: Amy Delpo and Lisa Guerin
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