Ep213:What Great Teams Do Great Issue # 12 - A team member has low morale

David talks about what to do when a member of the team has low morale and is starting to bring the others down.  Part of the What Great Teams Do Great series based on our book of the same name

Transcript

David Wheatley (00:11)
Welcome to this episode. This is part of our What Great Teams Do Great issues series. I'm David Wheatley. All of these issues use our What Great Teams Do Great model, which is available at humanergy.com or in the book of the same name. Each issue is presented with suggested actions to get on the path to team greatness.

This issue: One team member with low morale is bringing everyone down.

This is a long-term employee, and it seems unlikely that this person will be fired or relocated. Still, it's having a real impact on the overall team.

We get asked this question all the time: How do I stay on the Green Path when someone else is clearly on the Red Path?
And the answer usually ends up coming from the group itself: you double down on the Green Path.

That means, in a respectful, caring way, you hold the individual accountable for the expected behaviors. Don’t back off just because they have tenure. Don’t enable the behavior. Don’t accommodate it.

Just be caring, honest, and direct—three keys to staying on the Green Path—and address the behavior that’s inappropriate.

I encourage you to give direct feedback, including specific behavioral examples. Support them in identifying the issues contributing to their morale problem. What’s really going on?
 “This is what we see. This is how it makes people feel. What’s really happening underneath that?”

Coach the person to create baby steps of change—to move in the right direction.
 Ask: What’s one small thing that might help you move forward?

Document your actions. And, if necessary, explore off-ramps—more suitable roles within the company or even outside of it. My guess is, if their morale is bringing everyone else down, they’re probably not enjoying what they’re doing either. So look for something they might actually enjoy, even if it’s not with your organization.

But the key is this: have caring, honest, and direct conversations. Don’t accommodate toxic behavior—no matter how long someone’s been around.

The other side of this issue is that sometimes the person is delivering results, but their behavior is toxic. Ultimately, what we’re aiming for is a person who delivers results and exhibits the right behaviors.

Personally, I’d take someone who exhibits the right behaviors but isn’t yet delivering results over someone who delivers results but brings the wrong behaviors into the team.

So let’s get really clear on what those expected behaviors are—and hold people accountable.