Last week’s reshuffle of Boris Johnson’s cabinet saw some big moves with names like Liz Truss and Nadhim Zahawi moved into new roles and key minsters removed from office.
Dramatic reshuffles and sackings may not be that uncommon in politics but the same can’t always be said in business, especially when it comes to senior roles.
It got me thinking about how leaders and managers can tell when it’s the right time to get rid of an ineffective or disruptive staff member.
Firstly, I think it’s important to define what actually counts as ineffective.
Sometimes it’s obvious, for example if you have a staff member who gives a lacklustre performance and clearly isn’t invested in the role.
But what happens when you have a great salesperson who isn’t a team player, and causes disruption to team dynamics? That’s when it gets trickier. Say a star performer is ego-driven and hyper-competitive, and, while his personal revenues are high and he has exceeded his targets, the morale of his team is at an all-time low.
The instinct in the current situation might be to hold on to the guy – especially if the business struggled throughout the early part of the pandemic.
The boss might be loathe to let the salesperson go. However, there is a bigger picture to consider.
Ask yourself if you have or are experiencing this in your own team. Is there someone within it who is unconstructively competitive? Do they stab colleagues in the back? Are they a bully? Do they fail to respect your company’s values?
If so, be on red alert, because the profits they’re making you are deceptive, and short term.
If you have an employee who causes disquiet and resentment they’ll impact your bottom line in other ways, because you’ll lose good people.
It’s not easy to cut loose a high performer. It takes a courageous leader, and also a savvy one who recognises their business will suffer in the long term.
American author and business guru Jim Collins has carried out years of research on what makes great leaders and great businesses.
In ‘Good to Great’ he explains how crucial it is to get the right people in the right seats on the bus, heading in the same direction, and, just as importantly, to get the wrong people off the bus. If we want to achieve a vision, we need the right people first.
Collins is also famous for the “hire slow, fire fast” mantra.
Some may think this sounds ruthless, but nobody’s suggesting you give your staff the chop at the first sign of trouble.
You need to check you’ve done your own job properly first, so ask yourself if you’ve explored the obstacles in their way and if you’ve provided appropriate support.
And look at their attitude – are they willing to develop and improve? Are they open to constructive feedback? Are they happy in their job?
Once you’ve assessed these things you can determine if they can be the “A” player your business needs.
But if you’ve genuinely explored these options already, it’s time to act decisively.
Your own credibility is at stake otherwise.
If you knowingly retain someone who is fuelling a toxic environment and behaving contrary to the company culture and values, it can only get worse, and the damage gets harder to reverse.
Making tough decisions like this, however difficult, will benefit your business in the long term and will earn you the respect of the team members who do embody your company values.
Laura Gordon is a CEO coach and group chair with Vistage International, a global leadership development network for CEOs
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