151 Quick Ideas to Deal With Difficult People

67Remind Employees of the Chain of Command

A chain of command is important in business. It allows executives to determine who should be held accountable for a personnel problem. To insubordinate employees, though, a chain of command means nothing. They flout authority, after all. They won’t hesitate to leapfrog over their supervisor to take their concerns to the very top. Their approach could leave their supervisor feeling diminished.

Assignment

In a staff meeting, remind employees that when they have concerns, their supervisor should be their first point of contact.

If an employee breaks protocol and comes directly to you with an issue, remind the person of the chain of command with two questions: (1) Did you speak with your supervisor? (2) ...