Strategies for Managing Subordinates Challenging Your Leadership Position
In the workplace, undermining behavior can create a negative environment that harms team cohesion and productivity. This article provides actionable steps for managers to address this issue and build an organizational culture based on trust and respect.
Identifying Undermining Behaviors
The first step to addressing undermining behavior is to recognise it. Examples of such behavior include criticism and negative comments, ignoring policies and directives, sabotage, spreading rumors, withholding information, resisting change, blaming or scapegoating, insubordination, and more.
Prompt Action is Key
When undermining behavior is detected, it's important to address it quickly and clearly. Managers should communicate that such actions are unacceptable, explain the rationale behind decisions, and highlight the negative impact of undermining behavior.
Encourage Ownership
Instead of resorting to covert undermining, encourage employees to express disagreements openly and constructively. This fosters accountability and dialogue, helping to resolve issues and improve team cohesion.
Maintain Integrity and Active Listening
Approach conversations with fairness, listen to employee perspectives, and balance respect for concerns with upholding managerial authority. Active listening is crucial in understanding the root cause of the behavior and finding a solution that works for both parties.
Set Clear Expectations and Consequences
Define acceptable communication standards and behaviors, and specify that undermining will lead to consequences if it continues. Consistently enforce these policies to maintain credibility and fairness.
Document Instances of Undermining
Keep detailed records of behaviors with dates and examples to support any formal HR processes or interventions. This documentation is essential when escalating the issue or implementing formal disciplinary actions.
Use Assertive, Respectful Communication
Address behaviors directly but diplomatically in private conversations. Employ "I" statements to express impact rather than accusatory language, aiming for solutions and collaboration.
Engage HR or Supervisory Support
If direct interventions fail, consider escalating the issue by presenting documented evidence for mediation or formal disciplinary action in line with company policies. HR helps ensure proper protocols are followed in escalated situations and documents each step of the progressive discipline process.
Foster a Positive Culture and Psychological Safety
Encourage open dialogue, empowerment, and respectful dissent to reduce tendencies toward covert undermining and negative influence. Leadership should model accountable and ethical behaviors consistently to foster a positive culture and psychological safety.
Provide Leadership Development
Equip managers with skills in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and constructive feedback to handle these situations effectively and prevent toxic dynamics from escalating.
Address Toxic Elements Systemically
When undermining reflects broader cultural or leadership dysfunction, organizations must commit to broader interventions including 360-degree feedback, ethics channels, accountability measures, and potentially leadership changes to restore a healthy environment.
By following these steps, managers can neutralize undermining behavior while preserving authority, fostering respect, and contributing to a positive organizational culture. The goal is not just to stop the undermining behaviors but to resolve the underlying issues and improve team cohesion.
- To tackle undermining behaviors, it's essential to implement leadership development programs that focus on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and constructive feedback for managers.
- In the workplace-wellness and health-and-business perspective, fostering a positive culture and psychological safety helps reduce undermining behaviors and encourages open dialogue, empowerment, and respectful dissent.
- In cases of persistent undermining, managers may need to engage HR or supervisory support to address the issue via mediation or formal disciplinary actions based on documented evidence, adhering to company policies.
- Addressing toxic elements systemically requires organizations to commit to broad interventions such as 360-degree feedback, ethics channels, accountability measures, and potentially leadership changes to restore a healthy environment and promote a culture of productivity, trust, and respect.
