Destructive Superstars

What to do when a talented team member behaves badly.

BY GINNY HEGARTY 

Football has Terrell Owens. Baseball had Pete Rose. World Cup Soccer has Zinédine Zidane. We’ve watched these athletes reach superstar status and then self-destruct right in front of our eyes. Although these players are individual superstars, they perform as part of a team, and their destructive behavior affects the entire team.Self-destructive behavior isn’t limited to sports; we see it in all facets of life. Sadly, doctors have shared with me, “She was the best employee I ever had … and I fired her.” One doctor shared that it broke his heart to lose such a talented team member. She was “perfection on the phone,” and the patients adored her. However, she was like the Wicked Witch of the West with some team members when things didn’t go her way. He tried to ignore the drama, wishing it would go away; but her behavior just became too disruptive and he couldn’t rein her in.

Strategy

What’s a doctor to do when a talented team member behaves badly?Reactions and consequences should be specific, timely and proportional to the offense. When a team member’s actions are out of bounds, regardless of how valuable a player is, response should be immediate. If you say nothing when a team member arrives late, you are sending a message that you will let things slide.If the team member is late again, and you say nothing, your silence will once again send a very loud message to both the team member at fault and the rest of the staff. After a third late arrival, you have a potentially explosive situation. The best solution: Hold everyone accountable every time. A one-minute coaching conversation the first time an employee is late will prevent an escalation and put you in a strong leadership position. What do you do when a team member defies a specific policy or direct request? Here’s an example: A doctor once specifically told her new front office coordinator that she did not want any food or drink other than water in the front office. Later that morning, she noticed the coordinator had coffee and cookies at her desk. The doctor called her aside to ask if the team member had understood her request. The woman said she understood, but she was used to having her coffee and cookies and didn’t want to give them up. The doctor again clearly stated her request; the coordinator confirmed she understood. The following week, the coffee and cookies were back. The doctor called the coordinator into her office for a more formal review. The team member acknowledged her defiance, apologized and once again agreed to the food restrictions. Two days later, you guessed it: the coffee and cookies returned! Although the doctor feared she might be making a mountain out of a molehill, she was really peeved by this woman’s defiance. Would she be better to relax her food restrictions and keep a talented coordinator, or let the employee go and send a clear message that defiance would not be ignored or tolerated? The doctor chose to fire the employee. A week later, she hired a new coordinator who wasn’t quite as experienced, but proved trustworthy.

Employee accountability

The doctor realized that the situation was about far more than coffee and cookies; it was about employee accountability and integrity. In the past, before learning management coaching skills to hold her employees accountable, she may very well have decided not to lose a staff member over a cup of coffee and some cookies. She now realizes it may be Lorna Dunes today, but disregarding payment options tomorrow, or opting not to make confirmation calls another day. The potential for substandard performance would be endless and the consequences could remain invisible for months or years. This doctor feels that following her gut has prevented her from looking back later and wondering, “How did I lose control of my own office?”Don’t simply hire good people and leave them alone. Instead, hire good people and be certain they have all the knowledge and feedback they need to help you build a solid, strong team. Don’t listen to naysayers who declare you don’t have time to coach your team this way, or that this style risks micro-management. Under-management creates far worse problems than micro-management. Become your team’s coach, and you’ll develop and retain your superstar players.