How do you deal with rudeness from less senior colleagues?

[coffeerevelsrule]

I have fairly recently been promoted to a senior position in an organisation where I have worked for 20 years - I've worked my way up.

On Friday a colleague in a less senior role (but she is in management) came up and confronted me about an issue in a rude and aggressive way. She challenged a decision I had made, which I don't mind at all in principle, but the way she went about it was wrong. We work with service users who were present at the time and, as a result, it was never going to be possible for us to discuss the matter in question at that point, which is another reason I'm annoyed.

It was such an unpleasant situation and finished with her marching off and saying she was going to refer it upwards, which I don't know if she has done and I kind of hope she has as it might give me the opportunity to discuss the whole thing, though the way things are where I work I may or may not find out if she has done that and the only way to be sure will be to ask her.

I hate confrontation but I want to address this. Our levels of seniority are irrelevant really as I don't think anyone should be spoken to the way she did. However, the decision was my call, though I am happy to discuss it but not like that. It's one of those things where it could be just left now - the moment has passed and it was a decision of the moment rather than a strategy thing so I could just never mention it but I do think I want to.

What would you do?

refer it upwards yourself..how colleague spoke to you in front of service users is unacceptable and undermining. Nip this in the bud now.

Our levels of seniority are irrelevant really as I don't think anyone should be spoken to the way she did.
With due respect, why mention the level of seniority if you think it is irrelevant?

Personally I'd go above too, put it in writing about how she confronted you and what it was about - we have a dignity policy at work and that would fall under this.
She needs to 1 know how to deal with people - no one should be speaking to anyone like that especially someone given a more senior post as they're meant to be professionals and 2. She needs to know that you're more senior now and she needs to wind her neck
In if you've done your job, she doesn't get to decide if it's right or wrong
Good luck!

It IS relevant - firstly this person may be pushing boundaries as she's pissy about OP getting a more sensor role, secondly if it's OPs job to make decisions and she didn't like it, it's not her place to decide anything, disagree by all means but OP could have said thanks for your input, you do t know all the facts and I made this decision as part of my role with more facts than you're aware of etc (or whatever the reasons were. Good time to remind staff member she's not in a position to be overruling OP

Because I thought it might come up or I'd be asked about our roles and I'd be accused of drip-feeding or something.

I mean no one should be spoken to rudely and that's my fundamental belief, but I do think it adds another dimension and is useful context that she's challenging someone whose role it is to make these decisions.

Does she speak to everyone in such an unprofessional way in front of service users? Don't let her get away with this, it needs to be confronted.

Invite her and your senior manager to a meeting to discuss the issue she wanted to challenge.
Explain it was a totally inappropriate way and time to do it when service users were present, reminding everyone of need for confidentiality.