Home featured Image Credit: Julien L on Unsplash Featured Let's Talk News Featured Let’s Talk: Toxic employees – how to deal with troublesome staff Clare Loewenthal June 9, 2021 If you ask business owners what keeps them awake at night, the majority will say staff-related issues. Often the most disruptive employee is also the one who makes a unique contribution in terms of historical knowledge, skill or revenue generation. So how do we manage and lead people who are important to the business but whose behaviour is damaging corporate cohesion? Let’s Talk… Stuart Taylor, CEO and Founder, Springfox “Leaders are often well trained in business performance and strategy, but the psychology of leadership is more difficult, especially when a member of your team’s behaviour doesn’t align with the core values of your organisation. “Not wanting to upset someone does not make you a bad leader, but sympathy should not be confused with compassion. A sympathetic leadership approach tries to keep everyone happy and not upset the apple cart, but a compassionate approach makes decisions that are right for the business, whilst keeping in mind the circumstances of the individual. Respect and trust is built by taking the latter approach, resulting in higher performance long-term. “In addition, a few things to keep in mind when dealing with troublesome staff: Equip yourself with all of the facts. Never go into a conversation ill-equipped, especially given that conflict often escalates when there are fuzzy boundaries and misunderstandings. Understand what’s driving their troublesome behaviour