As a manager or business owner, you will have your favorite employees. It is human nature.
The real question is... "Are you realistic about the contributions your favorite employees make or is blind love keeping you from letting a poor performer go?" Our experience suggests that a lot of blind love comes from working side-by-side with employees over the years - especially through emotionally-challenging times.
One such example of an "emotionally-challenging" time period would be the early stage of the startup of a business. We see this all the time - a long-term employee who was there in the beginning of the business (or close to the beginning), does not fit the job, yet the manager, owner, or supervisor cannot let them go because it would be cruel and disloyal.
Chances are, if you work for a privately-held business of less than 10 to 15 years old and the founder(s) are still involved in day-to-day operations, you will observe what I call the "Employee Love Paradox".
The Employee Love Paradox is the piling of adoration and gratitude upon employee team members who have been through thick and thin (perhaps from the beginning) who really do not fit the job but cannot be let go because they have "put in their time." These poorly fit long-term employees are loyal but are actually destroying value in the company or adding very little positive impact to the bottom line. Thus the paradox...
What's more... These long-term employees often are "relics of the way things have always been done around here" - fighting change and causing unbelievable turmoil with new hires in particular who expect a level playing field that is fair.
I have been directly involved with and advised several start-ups to viable-stage and can tell you I have seen the Employee Love Paradox first hand in countless situations.
Do not get me wrong… Loyalty is a good thing and this post is not designed to blindly say that a company should not be loyal to loyal employee team members. Quite the contrary. The difference is - companies should be loyal to those on the team who are adding real value to the bottom line.
The following are four signs that the Employee Love Paradox is alive and kicking in your organization:
1. Politics Matters More Than Performance - The "who matters more than the what". Meaning - organizational politics reign supreme and nothing makes sense other than the fact that "so-and-so" gets what they want despite the obvious damage or operational inefficiencies that result. It is interesting to note that typically "so-and-so" was one of the first 5, 10, 25, or 50 employees and therefore part of the "protected class" of employees. We also call this "employee favoritism".
2. Change Efforts Fail Miserably - Change is constant and the Employee Love Paradox protects employees who do not want to change. I have seen some amazingly scary situations where the viability was in serious jeopardy and the employees needed to “get on the bus" and invariably some long-timers decided that they were not going to change. What happens next is fairly predictable - the Employee Love Paradox sets in - the employee is allowed to continue their old habits and ultimately diminish the competitive position of the team.
3. You Wonder... How on earth did this person they get that job? Often you hear people asking this question aloud. The employee who is constitutionally inept but in a position despite themselves. This position is often one of management. How did they get the job? The answer - they were there amongst the first wave of hires (often the worst of the worst hiring records).
Case in point - we have a large local warehouse business that I happen to love in Bismarck, ND. One supervisor in particular is quite good at destroying Customer value as I have had a "run-in" with her a time or two and have observed how she takes care of Customers. I recently asked a former colleague who works there, "What gives?" He said, "She was one of the original hires when the store opened." He gave me that "you know what I mean" kind of looks. Yeah... I know what he means.
4. Real High Performers Leave In Disgust - The real "Rainmakers" bail out and leave the laggards who cannot perform behind - further perpetuating the downward cycle.
What is particularly fascinating is when we are brought in by a CEO who says, "We need to change - we need to become more competitive..." We naturally are interested in helping clients who want to help themselves and we have seen the Employee Love Paradox all-too-often. The conversation typically goes like this...
"Can you help us?" asks the CEO.
"That all depends," we say.
"On?" they ask.
"You," we reply.
"I don't follow... I am on board. This change is my idea." is their typical response.
"Well... Invariably there are employee team members who are not interested in being held accountable for making the desired change happen. We could make the change their idea, but ultimately - if they do not buy-in and get on "board", you will need to make a decision."
"What decision is that?" they ask.
"Will you terminate employment of the people who resist the change effort?" We ask.
The CEO always says, "Yes, of course." They typically say this statement as if saying, "Duh. Who do you take me for? An idiot?"
Then we get "knee deep" into the change process and guess what? Change resistors quietly resist and are identified yet the CEO or their manager does nothing about it. The real result - the change effort takes profoundly longer than it should or dies altogether. Another "benefit" of not dealing with the Employee Love Paradox is disengaged employees who are high performers who decide it is time to work in a true high-performance organization.
Be careful that you are not in love with your employees for the wrong reasons. Loyalty is a good thing. Blind loyalty without performance accountability leads to the Employee Love Paradox.
Now go Maximize Possibility!
Other blog posts you may be interested in:
- Eight Ways To Improve Employee Morale
- Employee Morale Cancer - Employee Favoritism and Nepotism
- Climb, Camp, or Quit - You Decide
- Improve Employee Performance with Coaching Score Cards
- The Costs of Turnover
- How Poorly Fit Employees Can Pose as Top Performers
Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention. Bring Chris in today!
