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I recently took on a new job as a regional director for a healthcare company. The region I've been given is in quite a mess. Very little formal project management, no mechanism to determine capacity or productivity (except for doctors), terrible infrastructure, etc.
Many of the staff have been here for less than 2-3 years. However, one guy has been around for over a decade. He reports up to me indirectly (his manager is my direct report). My issue is that he speaks as if he is the boss and often dominates meetings/discussions in which he participates.
We have daily cross-team meetings and this guy will pipe up with questions and 'suggestions' for people both on his team and other teams. His tone and phrasing come off as demands rather than suggestions. Sometimes the other staff listen to him, but sometimes it starts an argument. Not a knock-down drag-out fight, but unproductive discussion that could have been avoided. He questions any change to processes and gets defensive any time we take on additional duties (ie "oh so that's our job now too?!").
I've talked to him about his tone and his attitude, but I found out today that his previous boss (who was promoted a year or so ago) had the same types of problems with him and nearly fired him. I'd rather help someone improve rather than fire him, but it's starting to affect the rest of the staff.
I think that his reasoning is that he's been here the longest and that should come with some benefit. But again, the place is in pretty bad shape; he was here as the org degraded. Being here a long time is not the mark of honor he thinks it is.
I've dealt with insubordinate staff before, but this guy is riding a very fine technical line that keeps me from calling it insubordination. Any suggestions?
I mean, sure, but that doesn't mean you can't terminate him.
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The shitty part of being a manager is doing the hard things. REALLY bad employees make it easy, moderately bad ones make it hard.
I've found that if you treat people like adults with clear expectations and consequences, it eliminates the "feelings" around the issue and makes it black and white. I mean, it still sucks to terminate someone, but it makes it objective.
I think u/MidwestMSW is right....I'd expand on what they said and put it this way:
Talk to him like an adult, give him respect but also clear feedback
Tell him exactly what the problems are, both in principle and with specific examples
(if he brings up tenure) tell him that tenure does not give special benefits (particularly when the tenure was during a downturn for the team)
Make it absolutely clear that this is not a negotiation, he will either meet expectations of professionalism or find another job.
He has 90 days. Check in periodically (e.g. every 30 days) and give feedback, repeat the steps above as needed.
If at the end of that 90 days he's not fixed himself, then that is his fault and your conscience is clear.