Dealing with the disruptives

One disruptive employee can bring an enormous cost to your business. Ann Andrews explains when, and how, to take action.

I was speaking at a conference on the topic of leadership recently and emphasising the cost of poor performance when, at the morning tea break, a business owner told me the story of his own experience of one employee who had cost his company a year of disruption and stress.

He owned an insurance brokerage which had various branches around New Zealand and a head office in Auckland. The office manager at the head office had been a nightmare for years he told me. She was a bully; she terrified everyone, even the owner himself.

He had tried speaking to her on numerous occasions about her behaviour, but rather than improving the way she treated people, being challenged actually made her behaviour worse.

He decided to move the head office, lock stock and barrel, to another city because it was the only way he felt he could get rid of her.
Imagine the momentous cost of that decision.

So, in your business, if you have such a person, what is it really costing you?
Consider:
•    Your time to coach the person.
•    The high turnover of staff who feel bullied or intimidated.
•    The low morale which usually leads to low productivity.
•    The high levels of sick leave.
•    The legal fees if you decide to go the ‘warning’ route.
•    The replacement costs of the people who decide to quit.
•    Your reputation as a business, because word quickly spreads.

When is the right time to take action?
•    As soon as you notice behaviours that don’t fit with your stated values.
•    When it starts affecting other people’s results or your customer service.
•    When it takes up way too much of YOUR time.
•    When it becomes too offensive or draining to ignore.

HOW should you take action?
•    Set up a ‘one-to-one’ with the person; somewhere quiet, with the phones turned off.
•    State clearly the behaviour you are concerned about (“I’m having challenges with the way you speak to people”) and give examples.
•    Ask for input from the employee (“Tell me what’s going on for you”).
•    Listen and acknowledge (“I understand you want the best results for the company and I thank you for that. However, we have to find a way to achieve our targets without minimising our people”).
•    State that the behaviour must change (“We are starting to lose good people and that can’t continue”).
•    Let the employee know you will support them as they make the changes (“I know changing behaviours isn’t easy, but we have to find a way to get the best out of people by encouraging them, rather than intimidating them”).
•    Gain agreement (“So you understand why this behaviour must change?”).
•    Have regular one-to-ones with the person. Support, coach and mentor that person until you are happy the behaviour has changed.
•    Acknowledge them when you feel they have achieved what you’ve asked of them. (“Well done, I know you’ve always had the best interests of the company at heart, and I hope you now see, that by treating people with respect, we get great results”) – or words to that effect.

Why taking action is so important
Dealing with poor performance isn’t easy, but not dealing with it brings on a myriad of ripple effects.
As a leader, owner, manager, supervisor or team leader dealing with poor performance is the most important part of your job.
The secret is to discuss openly with your whole team, the behaviours you want to see and the behaviours you do not want to see. By doing that, you have laid the foundation of a high performing team.
If you then see someone doing what you asked them not to do, you are now able to step in immediately to say “remember we said that we wouldn’t (name the behaviour)”.

Ann Andrews has spent over 30 years as an HR consultant specialising in working with high performing teams. She is a seasoned conference speaker and has written numerous books based on building great teams and becoming courageous leaders. ‘Leaders Behaving Badly’ was written deliberately to describe the leadership behaviours the world needs, businesses need and teams need. Normally $30 (plus P&P) Ann is offering the book to NZBusiness readers for $20 (Plus P&P). Visit www.annandrews.co.nz.