What is the recommended approach to address ongoing disruptive behavior in a meeting?

What is the recommended approach to address ongoing disruptive behavior in a meeting?

• A. Meet privately with the employee to discuss the behavior
• B. Remove the employee unilaterally
• C. Publicly reprimand the employee
• D. Ignore the behavior

Answer: (A)

Addressing ongoing disruptive behavior in a meeting is most effective when you handle it privately with the employee. A private talk lets you describe the specific behavior and its impact without shaming them, which reduces defensiveness and keeps the meeting’s purpose on track. In that conversation, be clear about what you observed, explain how it affects the team and goals, invite the employee to share their perspective, and agree on concrete expectations and a plan for improvement. If the behavior continues, follow up with documented feedback or appropriate steps. Publicly reprimanding creates defensiveness and erodes trust, removing someone unilaterally can escalate conflict or be unfair, and ignoring the behavior allows it to persist.

Addressing ongoing disruptive behavior in a meeting is most effective when you handle it privately with the employee. A private talk lets you describe the specific behavior and its impact without shaming them, which reduces defensiveness and keeps the meeting’s purpose on track. In that conversation, be clear about what you observed, explain how it affects the team and goals, invite the employee to share their perspective, and agree on concrete expectations and a plan for improvement. If the behavior continues, follow up with documented feedback or appropriate steps. Publicly reprimanding creates defensiveness and erodes trust, removing someone unilaterally can escalate conflict or be unfair, and ignoring the behavior allows it to persist.