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6 Leadership Behaviors That Crush Motivation
Employee motivation is essential to a team’s and organization’s success. From increased productivity and team performance to decreased turnover and...
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.
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.
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:
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.
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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