FACULTY INSIGHT
"You must seek to
understand the
context in which
the challenge is
being made and the
motivation of the
person making the
challenge."
Roger Delves & Sona Sherratt
challenge is much harder to combat. The risk to you is that you will
appear to be defensive and over-reacting because others are not
aware of the constant, subtle attacks on you. They will only see the
small incident to which your response may seem disproportionate.
In such a case your best option is to seek a private meeting with
the person who you believe is undermining you. Make sure you are
well armed with examples, to make it clear that you are aware of
what is happening and are determined to make it stop. Keep a cool
head and don’t become emotional. You are in a battle for credibility
and the fastest way to lose it is to over-react to a situation.
If this approach does not work your two choices are then either:
to elevate the issue, involving more senior management; or to be
as well prepared as possible for likely continuing attacks during
meetings. At these meetings you must be seen as being firm but fair
in your responses. Keep your tone assertive and professional; do not
allow this to become a personal battle.
Don’t duck!
may be someone who wanted your job and is bitter. Or it may be a
newcomer to the team who believes you can be usurped. Analyse
your particular circumstance, so that you have a full grasp of the
challenge that is taking place.
Sometimes a challenge to your authority or competence is more
of a signal of discontent or frustration or dissatisfaction. Such a
signal can often be sent in times of turmoil, sudden or unexpected
change or business or economic pressures. You need to be sensitive
to these signals and deal with the underlying cause, rather than
focus simply on the signal of the challenge.
If the person who is challenging you is senior to you in the
organisation you must try to establish why you are being challenged.
Do you represent a threat? Understanding the reasons behind the
challenge will help you to decide the best course of action. If you
have a wide network of influencers who are able to support you, be
sure to engage with them.
Treat challenges from externals differently
Dealing with this type of a challenge from an external (a client, a
customer or a supplier) is different. Understanding why they are
challenging you remains important, but in this context you need to
think about the degree of support you are likely to get as you decide
how best to address the challenge. The effect of external challenges
is that you are often disempowered, regardless of the validity or not
of the challenge made.
Decide if there is a long-term intent to undermine you
Not every challenge is an overt single event. Often people will
attempt to undermine your position, o