Leslie Kelley
Ashford University – COM480
Dr. Lili Melton
December 20, 2010
Ashford University – COM480
Dr. Lili Melton
December 20, 2010
Approaching a Confrontational Employee
Because of the confrontational implications, there should be a witness to the ultimatum that will be given. Considering that this is a personnel issue, the Human Resources Manager should definitely be involved. Involving HR ensures that the proper approach is utilized while talking to the employee; however, it also gives the HR manager time to coach the department manager on how to not cause a liability issue with the company.
A typical hotheaded response would be to ask who complained and to deny that they did anything wrong. There should be an appropriate response waiting for this The proper response for this would be to let the employee know that there were multiple complaints about their behavior and that naming them all would just incur animosity instead of focusing on the reason for the meeting. Explain that the meeting is a warning of their immediate future in the company. If more complaints are logged about them, then the company will have no choice but to let them go.
Send a Clear Message
In this case, it is important to send a clear message of what the repercussions will be if the behavior continues. Set out a list of clear instruction for them to follow. This way they cannot say down the road that they did not know what was expected of them.
Deal with the Individual
Do not use others as an example of how to act. This is not appropriate in a business setting. There should be no distinction because each person is different and everyone has different motivators on how to act appropriately. Appeal to this persons since of purpose and out what motivates them other than needing a job.
Learn When To Be Direct
Expressing the implications of what will happen concerning the bad behavior and what the repercussions will be should be direct and to the fact. "There is zero tolerance for this type of behavior and anymore altercations will result in your immediate dismissal. These terms are non-negotiable."
Take Responsibility for Communication
As a manager, the responsibility of relaying a clear message with direct information will always fall on their shoulders. There is no room for possible employee backlash because there were no set ground rules and no warnings prior to the possible firing. This is taking responsibility for communication.
Conclusion
When the same argument is revisited and revisited, then there is a sure bet that something did not get resolved and the subject was avoided until it was an issue again. If the employee was reprimanded before and still doing the same things, then the talk was not heeded. Taking the time to resolve conflicts in a manner that ensures that they are truly are resolved will strengthen all aspect of a relationship, be it personal or professional. Making ones feeling known without disregarding the others and caring that there is a resolution to be had will make the mediation of the argument go smoother.
Thinking Through Communication states “the speaker must present the speech in a natural, varied and appropriate way. Voice should convey interest and emotion, and gestures should match the major ideas speech.” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 6) This coupled with the believability of the speaker is paramount in getting their information across.
Reference
Trenholm, S. (2008). Thinking Through Communication. New York: Pearson.
