Reader struggles with talented employee who does not work well with others

Gene Mage

Today we answer a reader’s question. Katie from Arkansas writes, “I have an employee who thinks she knows everything. This is an issue when working with a team. This

person will not listen to customers or other team members. Lots of talent, but just

won't listen to direction on how she comes across to others.”

Does this situation sound familiar? It should, since this pattern is repeated every day in workplaces across the world. We hire people for their talent, energy, and experience, but we fire them for poor interpersonal skills. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that tired old refrain, “That’s just how she acts. I know she offends people, but look at all the good work she does.”

Problem players come in all shapes and sizes. Some are stars, and some are mid-pack performers. Nevertheless, they all fall short in a critical dimension of job performance. When an individual fails to take responsibility for how his or her behavior affects others, the performer is just too costly to deal with. When someone undermines the morale of a team, even if they are personally productive, it costs the company money. Problem players, even when they get the job done, do so at too high a cost.

Job performance is multi-dimensional. As supervisors, we have the prerogative to set expectations for job performance on a variety of matters that make a difference to the successful operation of the organization. Typically, there are three categories of job performance: technical, administrative, and interpersonal. When someone performs in a “technical” sense, she can do the job function for which she was hired. When someone performs well “administratively”, we say that they are neat, organized, use good attention to detail, and keep their promises to others. Interpersonal job performance means that someone gets things done in a way that respects others around them. People with good interpersonal skills build relationships, affirm the worth and value of people around them, develop the talent of other people, and generally function well in team environments.

So what do you do, as in Katie’s situation, when the employee has “lots of talent”, but does not work well on a team? Here are my suggestions.

Step 1: Clarify expectations. Make sure that this employee understands that her job performance will be evaluated on a variety of standards, not just getting her “technical” job done. That includes working well with others, as evidenced by listening, participating, and communicating in a respectful way.

Step 2: Ask for commitment. Ask the performer to agree to meet the standards of performance of her job. If possible, ask for a team commitment to follow standards of performance, so that team members can hold one-another accountable for living up to team expectations.

Step 3: Equip and train. Work with the performer to teach and model positive alternatives to negative patterns of behavior. Model effective listening, conflict resolution, and respectful communication.

Step 4: Follow up. Give the performer consistent, regular feedback by talking about what he or she does, and the impact of those behaviors on yourself, the team, and the business. Be specific by talking about incidents and examples. Focus on words and actions that make the most difference to the smooth function of the team. Avoid getting into discussions about attitudes, or behaviors that are merely annoyances.

Step 5: Create accountability. Hold the performer accountable to keep their commitments. You can set goals and train, but at the end of the day, an adult worker must make the choice whether or not to do what it takes to be a successful, productive member of the team.

Thank you, Katie, for sending me your question. You will receive a free copy of my book FREE to LEAD, since your question was published.

Got a tough workplace situation you would like me to tackle? Send it to gmage@makingitwork.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Gene C. Mage is a leadership Author, Speaker, and Syndicated Business Columnist. Get more ideas for improving your leadership at www.makingitwork.com.