Dealing with a team member who breaks the rules. Are you ready to handle the consequences?

Begin by understanding the rule which was violated. Clearly define the rule, its purpose and what specific behavior violated the rule. What was the nature of the violation of the rule is its a misunderstanding, negligence, or willful disregard? When the rule's intent is clear, the violation can be set in its proper context, and an accurate determination will be made that the specific rule is still applicable and operable in the experience of the current work place. This is an assurance that the subsequent actions to be taken are based on a sound understanding of the rule and its relevance to the organization.

On the other side, the dimensional space of the rule violation needs to be considered. Think about how the violation shaped the team environment, how it contributed to the project's expansion, and the organizational goals. It resulted in a timeline extension or degrade in morale, or quality of the performance? Consider the long-term ramifications if those things are let to run on. Here, the assessment needs to consider the opinions of different stakeholders to have the influences of the violation known from all perspectives. A clear impact evaluation justifies the need for action and underpins the severity of the response.

Come up with a strategic approach to sensitively communicate on this issue with the team member. It has to be direct, clear, and respectful. Fix a personal meeting with the person and carefully point out the rule that was violated. When carefully handling this, stick with facts rather than personal judgments. Explain what the rule is, how it was broken, and what effect that had. The explanation has to leave enough room for that particular member to mention their side of the story. Customize your message to convey what is due to stakeholders or team members who need to be informed, sparing the sensibility and human dignity of the person while maintaining the trust and transparency of the situation.

Taking into consideration the entire information gathered, together with the communication with the person involved, consider the various disciplinary actions to be imposed on the team member. They could be verbal or written warnings, suspension, or another form of consequence, depending on how bad the infraction is and the history of the person. Be sure that the action taken will be according to the corporate policy and with respect to past precedence. The goal, however, is to enforce the rules fairly, with most of the emphasis being on correctives rather than pure punishment. Document the reasoning for disciplinary actions for transparency and accountability.

Once the decision for the punitive action reached, design a plan for rehabilitation that will help the team member to mend his ways. Design a clear, workable scheme of improvement that may include further training, check-ins, mentor support, or targets to meet specific performance objectives. Clear guidelines should be made of what action would be required and within what timeframes. Periodic follow-up checks are scheduled. The goal at this point is to help the team member regain trust and ensure that the same mistake is not done again, which ultimately means professional growth for him.