Having to confront an employee about something is never a manager’s favorite part of the job. Nonetheless, it must be done. Have you ever brought in an employee for a corrective action or to terminate and they flip the switch on you? It can leave you frustrated, confused or feeling like you are unable to respond appropriately. Emotions are high during these kinds of conversations and if you are not careful, you could end up losing focus of the initial point of the conversation. Below are the top 3 ways to maintain control during a corrective action.

Explain the Process

One of the best ways to keep a conversation on track is to start off by explaining the process. Before diving into why you have called the meeting, first explain how the meeting is to go. Let your employee know that you have a few things to go over and ask them to please let you get it all out before responding.

Ensure them that they will have equal time to speak, however, first you want to make sure they receive all the information before responding. This will give the employee a road map of how the conversation is to go while also reassuring that they will have the opportunity to respond and be heard. After everyone has agreed on the process, then you can move forward with your meeting.

Be Clear and Precise

When you are explaining why the employee being corrected or terminated, make sure you are clear on the reasoning behind it and exactly what is to happen moving forward. Have your corrective action in writing stating exactly what you are telling them. Hand them a copy and speak in a very precise way like, “this happened and for that reason we will be issuing a corrective action. As you can see on this paper, This means…” Make sure that they fully understand what went wrong and the consequences so what when it is their time to respond, they are not confused about what is happening or why you called the meeting with them.

Allow for Response without Losing Focus

Once you have clearly communicated everything to your employee, open up the conversation for response. Keep in mind, this could go many different ways. If an employee tries redirect the conversation or confront you in response to a corrective action, this is an intentional tactic. They are attempting to refocus the attention of the conversation to you, rather than them. Maintain control of the conversation by allowing room to explore their thought process while making sure the subject comes back to the point at hand.

For example, if the employee says, “you’re doing this because you don’t like me” a good response would be “let’s explore why you feel that way, can you tell me how you got to that conclusion and how it pertains to what I have told you?”. Then you can reassure them that the reasoning behind the decision is solely based on what you explained previously while referencing what is written out on the paper you previously handed them.

Not everyone will agree or respond in a professional manner during corrective actions or termination meetings. However, it is your job as a manager to maintain control of the conversation. Keep the focus on the employee rather than other things by explaining the process, speaking clearly, putting it in writing and allowing your employee to respond.

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