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What Is Insubordination and How to Handle It?

What Is Insubordination and How to Handle It?

When an employee doesn’t follow instructions, skirts around their assigned duties, or has a terrible attitude, it can be difficult for any team leader to manage. Not to mention, this type of behavior is toxic to team dynamics as it drags down team morale, cohesion, productivity, and ultimately performance.

Depending on the severity of the behavior of the employee, you may have a situation called insubordination. To help you determine if this is what you are dealing with, let’s recap some of the basics of insubordination.

 

What is Insubordination?

Our insubordination definition is any outright refusal to obey an order or follow through on a reasonable request by an employee’s direct leader or another leader with seniority. This includes not following a policy or procedure outlined by the organization they work for or threatening or abusive behaviors.

Keep in mind that not all situations are equal. Insubordination can mean different things in the workplace. The severity of actions and what is considered insubordination falls on a spectrum and has various disciplinary actions depending on the behavior demonstrated.

Insubordination Definition from Niagara Institute

 

What Insubordination Is Not

Sometimes you may think you have a situation where an employee is insubordinate. However, for various reasons, that may not be the case. According to Monkhouse Law, an employment law firm, here are some examples of situations that are not insubordination in the workplace:

  • The directions were unclear or misunderstood, which resulted in the employee not being able to follow through on the order
  • The order was outside the scope of the employee’s outlined contractual duties
  • The request was unethical, illegal, or unsafe
  • The order is given by someone who does not have the authority

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What Should You Do When Insubordination Happens?

One of the most challenging times as a team leader is dealing with difficult situations, such as dealing with insubordination. No matter how many preventative measures you or your organization may have taken or policies in place, insubordination can happen since you can’t control the behaviors of others.

As mentioned earlier, an insubordinate employee and their behavior is a spectrum and can have various consequences depending on the severity. In situations where it is less severe and more common, there are four steps leaders should follow.

  1. Evaluate the situation
    When an employee refuses to perform an order, it is best to evaluate your role as the leader. For example, was the order you gave clear? Was the staff member aware that they were receiving a direct order? Or could your delivery have been misinterpreted as a suggestion? If so, this is not insubordination, and you should take responsibility for your actions or contributions to the outcome.

  2. Remain calm and have a one-on-one conversation with the employee
    Having a conversation with the employee right away is the best next step. Set up a one-on-one meeting to hear their perspective, and clear up any misunderstandings, and if it was purely a misunderstanding, ask them for honest and constructive feedback on your delivery, so it does not happen again in the future.

  3. Take further action if needed
    If you identify that the situation was a failure to perform an order or duty, it is best to end the conversation there and bring the matter to your human resources team. They will advise you on the next steps and consequences for this situation which could range from documentation of their employee, to filing a written warning, or termination.

  4. Reflect and do what you can to reduce the chances of a recurrence
    Taking the time to evaluate how the situation could have been avoided is a valuable step to mitigate it from happening in the future. This practice is commonly referred to as a post-mortem or retrospective

    It is a chance to dig deeper into why things happened the way they did and brainstorm solutions. In the case of insubordination, ask questions like, are there new policies that need to be outlined in the employee handbook? Is training or a workshop required for employees? Would taking part in a leadership development program that develops the skills you need to speak with clarity and delegate effectively help avoid another instance like this from happening again?

Conclusion: Insubordination Isn’t Easy, but It’s an Inevitable Part of Leadership

Leading a team isn’t easy, primarily when insubordination occurs. If you don’t want it to derail your team’s morale and performance, then as difficult as it may be, it is best to immediately take the four steps outlined in this article and then, if necessary, loop in your human resources department.

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