As managers, it is not a matter of if you will deal with insubordination in the workplace, it is a matter of when. Each employee has a different personality and level of professionalism. In order to deal with any situation, positive or negative, you need to be prepared ahead of time. Insubordination, not to be confused with misconduct, is a direct or indirect refusal to perform a directive made by a manager or superior. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to properly handle an insubordinate employee in the workplace.

Stay Calm & Professional

Often once an employee has reached the point of being insubordinate, they have already demonstrated some sort of emotions or actions that let you know it is coming. This should let you prepare emotionally for any hard conversations to be had in the near future. When an employee is being insubordinate, their behavior can come off as hurtful, aggressive or rude. Do your best not to react with equal emotion. Make an effort to remain calm when an employee is being insubordinate. Staying calm and collected allows the conversation to remain at a professional level. If you feel as though you may respond negatively, remove yourself from the situation rather than acting out of anger or frustration.

Try to Understand

Insubordinate employees are usually provoked by some sort of issue. Whether it be with scheduling, another employee, new policies, etc., it is your job as a manager to try to understand where the behavior is coming from. Do your best to diffuse the situation by figuring out the issue and developing a plan to solve it. This will make your employee feel heard while also keeping from similar incidents in the future.

Give A Clear Warning

As we are all humans, you want as a manager to bring the behavior to their attention. Perhaps they are speaking out of emotion and not aware of the consequences. State clearly that the behavior of the disgruntled employee is unacceptable and what the consequences of the behavior will be should they continue. If the situation is not overly heated, reference the code of conduct in your employee handbook regarding insubordination and what the consequences include. Give them a chance to turn the conversation.

Document the Situation

Keep proper documentation on each employee in case this behavior becomes a reoccurring issue. Give as much detail as you can in an official write up form including what happened in the incident, any corrective actions that were taken and what is to happen if future infractions occur. Have the employee sign it, add your signature as well.

Be Consistent in Follow-Through

If you have clearly stated a course of action then do not go back on that. Work with the employee to improve behavior and follow the next steps if behavior remains the same. Employees that see a manager go back and forth will not fully believe or respect their decisions. Be firm on your decisions and consistent in follow through so your team knows where the line in drawn.

Remember, everyone can have a bad day. As a manager it is your job to uphold the standard for proper behavior in the workplace while also leaving room for human error. Staying calm, yet firm, understanding the problem and trying to guide our employees in the proper behavior is the best way to build a strong team.