7 Ways to Deal With Employees Who Don't Listen

Having to deal with employees who don’t listen is so frustrating. Being ignored at work is never nice at the best of times and if you have to deal with employees who don’t listen it can knock your confidence, impact the team overall and can certainly create negative feelings that help no-one.

I share 7 ways to tackle employees who don’t listen, and each is effective. Don’t allow team members who don’t listen to remain an annoyance, a hindrance and a source of disruption for the team any longer.

Matching your communication style to their learning style is a sensible step which will help them take in what you are saying. Make it as easy for the employee who doesn’t listen as possible.

Next take a look at your own behaviour. Are you listening to them? Are you acting on what they are telling you? Are you asking them to undertake activities which help the team and them. Treat them as you would like to be treated and you have a much higher chance of being listened to.

Explain the why. Why are you asking the employee to do the task you are? Have you explained this to them? And when you are being ignored at work, explain the impact of the other person not listen and not doing.

If you are still not being listened to at work, then ask the employee to give you a summary of what you have asked and also ask for their input. This is a great way to get them involved and forces them to take in and think about what you have asked.

A further step is providing the employee who doesn’t listen with a set of options and ask them to decide which one should be pursued.

Whatever you mutually agree, put the actions and activities which the goals in writing. This provides a clear reference point for both parties.

And lastly, create consequences if the team member doesn’t listen and doesn’t take action.

Don’t allow an employee to not listen to you, particularly if the team output will suffer. Take any of the 7 ways outlined to deal with employees who don’t listen.

00:00 Intro
01:19 Match your communication style
02:15 Take a look at your own behaviour
03:35 Highlight the why and the impact
04:30 Ask for a summary and input
05:29 Ask them to make a decision
06:46 Put what is agreed in writing and follow up
07:50 Create consequences
08:36 In Summary

Other videos that you will find useful:

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

[jonsnow]

I cannot believe you actually said, "If you [manager] don't listen to your team members why should they listen to you?" Because I am paying the team members. That is why they should listen. They are able to purchase food because I pay them, so when I have something to say they should listen. When team members can pay their own bills without me then they can choose to listen or not.

[DaveTalksBusiness]

I always replace the word ‘I’ with “the company”. “The company” has these expectations. “The company” is expected to have these things ready for the customers. It depersonalizes it and that's where a lot of the emotion and the emotional response comes from your staff and customers.

Many business owners are overly verbal too! We can't hold employees accountable for a policy that doesn't physically exist. We can't hold them accountable to an SOP that doesn't physically exist. Get things written down to avoid hearing “you never told me that”. Also ask them; Can you do that now or do you need an hour to do that? It's a great question - and then you're getting a verbal commitment when they respond!

[bouquet_vis]

Hello Jess Coles,
Thank you very much for your video. I just had a chance to work with my family business right after my graduation. I was not entitled to any position in the company rather than a helper with emailing the client. The reason why I got to work is that there was a situation where my father felt that it was too much for the old employee to handle as she had a problem with language so he let me jump in and from that I become working part-time there to talk to clients. Supposedly there was an employee who worked in this job but after I jump in I realize that she just did work badly because she had a mindset that I will correct them anyway. I feel that I become her boss even though I am not and start to be really micro-managing asking her to check the information again and again before sending it to me. I had try my best to talk to her nicely but I feel that she does not respect me at all. Just a while ago she just suddenly hung up my call. In this situation what should I do to gain her respect and to kindly ask her to do her job properly.
Thank you very much for your video and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards

[FixnGoLLC]

Thanks for the video, I do have difficult employees, I blame myself I had not reprimanded them before but it came to the point that they won’t even show up for work sometimes, times are hard, I can’t fire them, but how do I mutually fix this issue? I’m in a tough situation, need help, I’m worried I may lose the grid and confidence between other employees.

[MaGSteelX]

I know why the team member is not listening to me. We use to work together at a similar job in the same position and now at a different company I'm a manager and he is not! He can't see past the last company added on he doesn't take to authority well.

[thomaslindsay]

The management at co-op in Channel Islands is bad they keep saying things to me last minute it’s kinda impact my mental health feel like quitting this place

[jepnprh]

Can anybody give me advice on training a know it all? I hate being told to train someone who attempts to train me. So annoying. I just get frustrated and tell my supervisor that I can't train them.

[Joaquinonbasstheelectriklovein]

Look I've had employees try to turn situations around & try to make it MY problem why they don't do their job.What's in it for them?That they don't get fired.Jeez I can't listen to this stuff anymore.I'll be glad when the robots take over.Enough of this B.S..

[booradleyx]

I just want to fire them. Hire someone competent. End of story.