Dealing with an Arrogant Executive: How Do You Handle Refusal to Tasks?

Dear Seniors,

One of the executives reporting to me is becoming more arrogant day by day, and now she has started saying NO to tasks as well. Please recommend what should be done. I have already conducted two counseling sessions, but they have been of no use. I have tried to identify the problem, but I believe her ego and the number of years she has spent in the company are causing issues.

What do you all think? I am looking forward to your replies.

Regards,
Ruchi

I would suggest that you should sit with her and directly tell her about her behavior. Sometimes it is important to show your authority so that discipline is maintained in the office. No matter how senior one is, when it comes to official matters, no one can say no to a task assigned to them, unless the task is not related to the employee. Talk with her and explain the consequences she will face if she continues to be arrogant.

I suggest that when you assign her a task, it should be in writing. This way, you can also issue her a warning letter if she refuses to comply.

Hi Ruchi,

This situation arises in every organization. Leave it as it is for a while. First, make her comfortable by showing her that you take care of her. Support and appreciate her for all the good things she does. This will really motivate her, and she will change her mind soon. Then, your counselling sessions may work, and you can guide her in whatever way you prefer. Give her more responsibilities and new assignments where she can feel that she is learning new things from you. Provide her with a comfort zone.

This is one way you can handle the situation.

Regards,
Priya

Hello,

You may need to find the reason why she is saying "NO" to you. Is it because of you or the task? If it's you, you probably need to find out from her if she finds it difficult to work with you or if there was a situation where she felt hurt - anything from the past that keeps bothering her. You may need to let her know that in personal life, you may not mean anything to her, but in professional life, you do have a relationship that should also run smoothly for success. Only if you know the reason will you be able to stop her from being frustrated.

If it's the work itself that she is frustrated with, then you know best how to sort it out. If things are still not getting better, I think you need to let her know that she has to do the work assigned to her and can get in touch with you if she has difficulty in completing it. And if she says NO, ask her to give it in writing and the reason why she can't do it.

Thanks,

Hi,

If you don't want this problem to spread all over, just start ignoring her. Whatever you communicate with her should be in written form, and whatever communication you want to receive from her should also be in written form. Start working as if you don't have that girl in your team. The most important thing is that you should stop thinking about her. Don't try to change this type of candidate; they never will. By ignoring her and focusing on others, I am sure you will have peace of mind, at least.

Harry

Hi Ruchi,

This is a common problem faced by every lead and manager with their executives, mostly happening in medium-sized companies with flat hierarchies. In fact, in my early stages, I faced this problem, and slowly I overcame it.

I would suggest you make her understand reality and communicate mostly officially and in writing to ensure you have a track record of her work. Try to spend time with her, understand her concerns, and gain more clarity on whether it's the job or the person that is causing her to say NO to tasks.

As a lead or manager, we need to understand their concerns and make them feel that we are there to help them. Ignoring them will only make things worse, leading you nowhere.

I assume she is older than you and feels she has more experience in the company. One thing I would like to emphasize is very simple: people respect and are committed to work when you respect individual feelings and attitudes.

Assign her some challenging tasks where she feels competent, and then help her understand the reality.

It may take time, but you will see the difference, as it worked for me. In my team, I have a couple of people working under me with more experience than mine, and I can still manage them without issues.

You need to change her mindset. Simple!

Seniors, please advise and help Ruchi.

Regards,
Lakshman Kodupaka

Talk one-on-one, analyze the problem, and try to find out the blind spots (Johari's window). Because all problems come with a solution. Approach her as a colleague, not as a boss. Definitely, you can find a solution.

Regards,
Srikanth

Hi Ruchi,

Follow a step-by-step process to deal with her:

1. First, build a rapport with her not as a boss but as a colleague. Try to understand her problems, discuss with her, and offer solutions.

2. It's tough to counsel senior people, but don't lose hope and make her understand that timely completion of tasks assigned to her would add value to her efficiency as well as the team's efficiency.

3. Appreciate and thank her if she shows positive improvement.

4. If no such positive improvements are shown by her, then communicate with her in writing to build a case against her.

5. Sit with her to discuss her performance.

6. Issue a warning letter in the worst cases.

I hope this would help. :)

Regards,
Niharika

Hi,

As Niharika and Priya have shown their opinions towards the positive angle of the case, I would like to appreciate your opinion. It is human tendency that a person who has been working for many years does not want to lose the benefits of their seniority.

If you wanted to, try putting yourself in her position. I have also experienced a similar situation at my current job. Even my assistant told me that she doesn't like receiving orders or being shouted at. I took this kind of personality as a challenge, and now she is my best friend after 3 months because I never shouted at her or her work. I always tried to complete the work on my own, so one day she realized that I was helping her in her difficulties and not scolding her for any mistakes. She changed herself and started working with all responsibilities.

Only through Gandhigiri... it affects... let's try.

Ruchi Pandurang

I think she finds there is not much knowledge sharing, or you might not have given her all the information where she feels she is equal. Therefore, she wants to be independent. Please ask if you want to change the vertical, or else it will affect your career. :)

Please ask her if she wants to take on the same job in a new vertical, that is horizontal shifting or segment change.

Thank you.

Dear Ruchi,

Our senior has suggested many ways above to solve your problem, and all are relevant and will work. However, you should start with a positive approach one by one, such as using strategies like 'kam,' 'dam,' 'dand,' 'bhed.' Firstly, give her challenging tasks, appreciate her, and respect her. Even though you are in a higher position, it is good to respect others. Only then will you be respected. If this doesn't work, openly talk to her to understand why she behaves that way. Try to identify the reasons behind her actions and work towards resolving them. If the issue persists, ensure everything is documented in writing, and as a last resort, you may need to use your authority.

Regards,
Sunil

With humility and love, flexibility becomes natural. In order to be flexible, we need to have the virtue of humility. With humility, we will be willing to understand the people around us and their behavior. This will also enable us to have love for them, automatically fostering flexibility within us. When we encounter people who are uncooperative, it is essential to approach them with humility and try to comprehend their communication, whether through words or actions. By listening with love and understanding, we become less rigid and can easily adapt ourselves.

Regards,
Raghu

Hi Ruchi,

I have gone through all the comments written to you. I agree with most of them, but none of them has guided you on what framework you should follow before initiating any disciplinary action against her.

1. Have you issued a copy of the Letter of Appointment with relevant clauses for reporting?
2. Have you issued and obtained a copy of the Job Description signed by her?
3. Do you have certified Standing Orders / Code of Conduct?
4. Have you counseled her in the presence of her skip-level manager?
5. Start issuing memos/notices for any disobedience.
6. Conduct her appraisal as per the appointment clause.

After completing the above groundwork, now start Gandhigiri.

Do not assign any work to her for seven days; make her sit idle outside her workstation. Make her realize that the company runs smoothly even without her. Assign her work to a subordinate. Don't forget to invite her for lunch in the cafeteria. During lunch, make some memorable comments like "Jiska Namak Khate hain Uske sath Namak Halali karni chayiye."

I hope she will be on track and realize her mistake. But even then, if she continues, you should start disciplinary actions with a show-cause notice followed by suspension orders and a conduct enquiry before her final termination.

Regards,
Krishnavat75 :-P

Dear,

As your junior is denying work or not being supportive in nature, you should approach her not as a boss, but as a colleague. Try to understand and address any problems she may have, whether official or personal. It's possible she may have been hurt by a superior, or unintentionally by you. By giving her a chance to work on challenges and demonstrating the value of her contributions towards a potential promotion, she may become more cooperative. If she continues to be uncooperative, you can provide instructions or tasks in writing. If the issue persists, you may need to issue a warning letter to her.

Thank you,
Rita

Ruchi,

Such a situation will typically arise in 2-3 circumstances:

1) When the supervisor keeps pushing his/her people to perform but does not demonstrate his/her own capabilities to accomplish the same task. This may lead the team members to doubt the capabilities of the supervisor and make them sound arrogant.

2) Within the team, if there are some other performers/non-performers who are getting more attention or not being pulled up for similar shortcomings, such situations lead to grudges and therefore non-compliant behavior.

3) At times, some people have access to senior people in the organization, and that gives them the courage or a feeling that they can bypass the immediate supervisor. This also happens when the supervisor has limited or very little decision-making powers or he/she shows to the subordinates that he is not empowered enough. The team member may then feel that the supervisor is not strong enough in the system and therefore may not listen.

4) Many times there are unrelated reasons too (which may be personal).

As you can see, each of these situations will need a different approach. However, to begin with, you should make a list of all positives/good things that the person has. Then have a one-to-one meeting and discuss all positives and then finally ask him/her as to what is causing him/her to behave differently and how you can help in bringing the situation to normal again. Remember, don't do any fault-finding. You should make the person come out with the issues himself and admit his/her own mistakes.