Stop Letting Bad Employees Float

Owners let bad employees float for WAY too long.

It’s probably the #2 thing I’m seeing get in the way of businesses’ success lately. Trust me, I know WHY people do this.

• Tribal knowledge
• A body is better than none
• Avoiding hard conversations
• Hope the situation improves
• It’s okay because of ____ (shaky) reason

Let’s be clear about two types of team members first.

Hard-working, but disorganized or slow

These people deserve some grace and empathy. They may not be knocking it out of the park every day, but they are committed, follow direction, and generally meet their job role. Provide more support and training. The effort is not wasted because minor improvements are guaranteed, and huge improvements are possible.

Capable, but can’t be trusted

The classic case is a person who is good at what they do, but good luck getting them to enter their time. In some cases, they are even actively toxic to the other team members. They certainly don’t mentor or lift up others on the team. These people need to be set free.

Reframe the scale of the problem

Think about it like this.

Imagine going to a staff member’s desk and saying, “Hey, can I get you to call Jill at Acme and help her with the boardroom AV ticket?”

The person spins around from their desk, kicks their feet up on the desk, and says tersely, “NO!” You ask again politely and explain why it’s important. They simply tell you to “F%^K off.” 😨

Professional insubordination

Refusing a task that you are obligated to complete as a part of your employment is professional insubordination and is a fireable offense.

The example I use is obviously hyperbolic, at least I hope so!

The fact is, it may as well be what happens. Tolerating someone’s repeated refusal to do the basic requirements of their role breeds a terrible culture of elitism where the rules are optional. People think, “Why bother since there are no consequences for anything?”

You have more control than you think

In the Opsleader community, we spend a lot of time on hiring and firing, using systems like the nine-box model and the topgrading strategy. They help you develop a path to a better future.

I want to encourage owners and managers to recognize that they shouldn’t settle for subpar culture in their organization and should invest in bringing on new people who can step into the space that underperformers have left.

It takes a little time and it takes a bit of investment, but it is absolutely worth both.

I see time and time again organizations that have tolerated toxic performers in their team for years because of the fears I noted above. Yet when that person is eventually let go, the entire team breathes a sigh of relief. It’s a tough three weeks to transition, but because you’ve invested in a positive culture, you’d be surprised by how people step in and step up to take on the gaps that get created.