Clear Out The Rot

“John knows exactly what he’s doing and needs little management. He works rapidly but without any mistakes so he delivers an amazing amount of high quality work. No one can do what he does.”

This was the response I received when I asked a manager how John was doing. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Read on.

“But he has a terrible personality. John finds fault with everyone but himself. He complains incessantly about everything. He thinks he knows more than anyone, especially me and the other senior managers. No one likes him.”

I’ve heard this before. Too many times. And when I do, I follow up by asking if there are other people issues. Often I get a big sigh. The sigh is followed by another name and another set of similarly destructive traits. Sometimes the list of employees causing problems is long.

It used to confuse me when I heard such accounts. Why would managers highly skilled and successful in all other ways be so willing to put up with employees who behave like this?

Finally, I realized that they actually believe their line that “no one can do what he does.” And they don’t seem to realize the devastating effect such an employee has on everyone else. It’s a toxic effect that hurts the performance and morale of others and it hurts the company’s results.

So instead of doing what they should do, put an end to their employee problem, managers make excuse after excuse for the difficult but seemingly “irreplaceable” person.

Occasionally I see a huge and seemingly healthy tree felled in a big storm. Often, when I look carefully, I notice that it’s hollow inside. Sometimes there’s only a few inches of wood around the outside with a 2 or 3 foot diameter empty space in the center. Empty space caused by the rot that lived hidden inside the tree until it ate away enough of the tree’s strength that a storm felled it.

The tree, your organization, they’re the same. Leaving the rot to grow eventually leads to a huge crash. A toxic employee affects those around them…eventually the infection spreads far and wide.

While it’s happening, a big question looms behind your back. “Why isn’t the boss doing something about this? It’s obviously hurting us and the organization. Why is he letting this situation fester?”

Or, as flabbergasted employees often say, “John must have pictures.”

Good managers do their best to help employees overcome their issues. People deserve some help and a chance to improve, but once it’s clear that improvement won’t happen, the good of the organization takes precedence.

A good manager removes the rot and solves the problem. Permanently. The organization is relieved. Morale improves. Results improve. And the disgruntled employee gets a chance to find a place that’s right for them. Everyone winds up better off.

Including you.