Toxic Superstar Employees: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

• Reducing-Workplace-Toxicity.pdf (35.8 KB)

Many of us have experienced working with a toxic superstar—that technically talented team member who lacks self-awareness and self-management, causing everyone to tippy-toe around him or her for fear of becoming the next target of rage.

Read on to learn how to handle this difficult but all-too-common situation.

Let’s call our toxic superstar “Michael.” He has been a member of the team at Stonekey Animal Hospital since it opened 10 years ago. Michael didn’t have much veterinary experience, but because Dr. Stonekey and Gayle, the practice manager, were impressed with his positive attitude and willingness to learn, Michael came on board as a veterinary assistant.

The practice provided on-the-job training and Michael took the initiative to learn as much as possible about patient care. He went back to school, earned his registered veterinary technician license, and was promoted to technician supervisor. Michael typically arrived at work early and was the last to leave. He anticipated each doctor’s requests while simultaneously developing an exemplary technician team.

But over the past couple of months, Michael has changed—and not for the better. He snaps at team members and makes no effort to repair the damage; he doesn’t seem to care about the feelings of those around him. Michael’s past dedication has added so much value to the practice that Dr. Stonekey and Gayle don’t want to lose him, but this isn’t the Michael they hired.

Should this toxic team member stay or go?

Dealing with a Toxic Superstar
A toxic employee is not someone who has a bad day or a rough week; a toxic employee is one whose behavior has a persistently negative impact on the entire practice. In The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It, Christine Pearson and Christine Porath define incivility as “the exchange of seemingly inconsequential inconsiderate words and deeds that violate conventional norms or workplace conduct.” Persistent incivility, they contend, leads to toxicity. In a veterinary practice, uncivil behavior might range from blatantly ignoring team members to throwing instruments in a moment of anger.

Practice leaders fail to deal with toxic employees for a myriad of reasons, most commonly because it is difficult to weigh the benefit of the person’s skills against the costs of his or her behavior—“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” Yet it is critical for practice leaders to provide a safe work environment and directly confront the toxic superstar. It’s also necessary to identify the source of the toxic behavior, outline the impact of the behavior on the practice, patients, and coworkers, and clearly outline consequences for ongoing toxicity.

The following script provides suggestions, along with the rationale, for such a discussion.

Gayle: Michael, I’m glad we have this chance to talk. How’re you doing?
(Establishes personal interest.)

Michael: OK. (Unsure of the purpose of the meeting.)

Gayle: How do you think you’re doing in the practice? (Establishes professional interest.)

Michael: OK. (Demonstrates uncertainty regarding where the meeting is going.)

Gayle: Michael, I’ve noticed that your work performance and behavior are not up to the standards you’ve demonstrated in the past. I’m checking to see if there’s anything that might be in the way of you performing at the level of excellence that you typically do. What’s your perception? (Recognizes negative performance; acknowledges value of positive performance; opens the door for response.)

Michael: Well, I come to work every day. Can you give me an example of how my performance has changed? (Demonstrates uncertainty and reliance on his manager to take the lead in the discussion.)

Gayle: This morning I heard you speak disrespectfully to other team members. Shelly asked for your help when placing a catheter and you said, “I don’t have time and you should know how to do that.” Team members have also shared that they don’t always feel comfortable around you and don’t know what to do. Michael, I haven’t seen you smile in weeks and it seems like you don’t want to be here. I’d like to hear your thoughts. (Provides quantitative and qualitative examples.)

Michael: I don’t know where to start. I’ve appreciated this career opportunity for so long. I had a clear game plan and have accomplished most of the plan over the past 10 years. But some things in my personal life aren’t going very well and I started to reflect on where I’m going in life. I feel stuck and feel like there are no growth opportunities here. I don’t know what you or Dr. Stonekey want anymore; we used to have weekly meetings, but we haven’t met in over 6 months. I feel increasingly irritated by the very people I trained. I don’t mean to be rude to anyone, but I’m at a loss as to what to do. (Still demonstrates uncertainty but perceives openness to express insight.)

Gayle: Michael, thanks for giving me insight on how you feel. I’m glad we’ve had the opportunity to clarify our perspectives. Let’s establish a few agreements at this time. Dr. Stonekey and I will review your current responsibilities and discuss potential growth opportunities for you. We’ll restart our weekly meetings so we’re all on the same page.

What we need from you is to stop expressing disrespectful behavior toward team members and to once again demonstrate positive leadership. We’ll also need you to regain the team’s trust. Michael, to be clear, continued negative behavior will put your job at Stonekey Animal Hospital in jeopardy. Dr. Stonekey and I will provide immediate feedback instead of allowing too much time and emotion to build. (Identifies agreements and next steps.)

Michael: Thank you, Gayle, and I apologize for how I’ve been acting. I don’t want to lose my job and I’ll do what it takes to get back on track. I look forward to your feedback on how I’m doing. I may need your help in reestablishing the team’s trust in my work as a leader. (Recognizes the “wake-up call” and demonstrates interest in both professional and personal growth opportunities.)

Gayle: You’re welcome, Michael. We will provide tools and the support you’ll need to rebuild your team relations. Now, let’s get started! (Documents discussion and launches agreements.)

When working with a toxic superstar, a leader can choose to:

1. Ignore the problem

2. Immediately fire the employee

3. Assist the employee in making improvements. The last option may take more time and effort than the others; however, the additional work and thoughtfulness will result in positive long-term results for the practice.

The Impact of Toxicity
Negative behavior in the workplace can be costly, both in human and financial terms. A study reported in The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It quantifies the impact toxic staff members have on employee performance. The study found that when employees worked with toxic people:

48% intentionally decreased their work effort
47% intentionally decreased their time at work
63% lost time in their efforts to avoid the offender
78% said their commitment to the organization declined

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, an employee’s relationship with his or her immediate supervisor and feeling safe in the workplace are among the top 10 requirements for job satisfaction. The cost to a practice is especially significant when the toxic member is an owner, manager, or associate.

Managing Workplace Toxicity: Leadership Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

Hire for cultural fit
Be aware of toxic flags
Deal with behavior in real time
Hear the person’s story
Establish agreements
Reassess and follow up

Don’t:

Hire to fill a hole
Deny signs and think they’ll go away
Stockpile events and wait for the annual review
Jump to conclusions and make assumptions about the cause of the employee’s behavior
Take an “it’s my way or the highway” approach
Expect an immediate cure and move on

Read more about reducing workplace toxicity

Toxic Superstar Employees: Should They Stay or Should They Go?
Deborah A. Stone, MBA, CVPM

Suggested Readings

1. Society for Human Resource Management’s report, 2010 employee job satisfaction: Investigating what matters most to employees. shrm.org/research/surveyfindings/articles/
documents/10-0252%20jobsatsr _textfnllowrez.pdf
2. The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It. Pearson C, Porath C—New York: Penguin Press, 2009.