Nothing will kill a great employee faster than watching you tolerate a bad one

One of my team consistently talks poorly to others. This creates a bad atmosphere and bad vibes with the rest of the team! The problem is they are a key member and fear they may down tools or leave if I approach them. How do I deal with it?

If i had a tenner every time i was asked this question!

Answer:

As a society we went from a 1980s full on disciplinarian to 2000s honey and vanilla, and for whatever reason we seem to skirt around these problems. This is often because people are too scared to say anything in case they get into trouble or because they think the problem will disappear. So which way do you go? The hard way or the light way? One great quote that always springs to mind is this: ‘Nothing will kill a great employee faster than watching you tolerate a bad one’. And just like that picture, unless you intervene, the ripe apples will quickly turn.

So what do i do?

Before you do anything else, understand why? Is there a fundamental reason why this employee is behaving in this manner? If it’s a problem that has arisen recently, the chances are there is more to the problem and one that seeks further clarification. When talking to the employee, ask appropriate questions on the individuals welfare before anything else. We all have problems that can manifest in different ways.

Once you are past the understanding and there is no underlying reason, you need to be honest and make the individual aware of the damage they are causing to the culture of your business. The impact they are having is not on a few individuals, but damaging a huge part of the business. If there isn’t fast change to the way they behave (with your help) then appropriate action would be taken and the reasonable consequences need to be outlined.

Building a culture is not just about rewarding and being a 'Fun Time Freddy'. Its also about facing into problems and taking immediate action. Even if they are your best sales-person, your best negotiator or your business wingman/wingwoman. If you do not face into these problems you are allowing the behaviour to spread, and unfortunately cancer spreads! The impact is greater than what you see and hear. This will never go away until you talk to your employee.

Understand their world. Tell them the reason why they are in your business and how much you value their work. (there must be a reason why you recruited them and they are still in your team). Why do they talk the way they do? Do they understand their impact? Address the future consequences of not owning the correct behaviour.

If you need any help dealing with these situations and need some specific guidance, please contact me through the website, or email bennormanhr@gmail.com or give me a call