If you have been in business long enough, you probably know what I am talking about.
A key position is filled with a person you think you cannot live without. Maybe they have been there “forever”. Maybe they are the spirtual center of their department. But the department, or the whole company, is struggling to move forward, and this person is at the center of it.
They probably blame others, or tell you how much they do to keep this place going, or may even try to keep a team of others as their allies with gossip or favors to shield themselves.
But this “indispensable” key player is resisting change even as they nod their head when you talk about it. They say the problems are insurmountable, or slow walk change, and hope you forget about it. They either pretend they work so hard and long, even as they do the minimum (milking hours if they get paid that way, maybe), or they actually do work hard at the old way. They may be hiding out. They hate change, even though they may complain about the problems they have had in their department for years. Here’s my advice –
They gotta go.
Nobody like this is indispensable. Whose business is this anyway? If they were your competitor, they would be a mess and easy to beat. But they are at the center of your team. Let them go seek mediocrity somewhere else. You cannot have an A team with C players – especially managers.
When you let this person go, you will feel like a great weight has been lifted. People will come forward and tell you how this person was holding them back, or things you did not know. A new leader will come forward who can and will do the job much better. Or you may redesign your org chart to fill in the opening.
Do not be a hostage of any dysfunctional employee just because they have been there forever or seem so important. The position may be important – yes. But if they don’t do the job well, then they are not. When you get someone to do the job well, then they will be important.
Move forward. Let’s go.
Excellent point. I’ve observed that business owners and senior leaders are especially reluctant to let these people go if they were there when the business was founded or in the early days. Loyalty becomes a blind spot. The employee has become too comfortable, or worse, entitled, and the leader can’t see this. Be thankful for the employee who helped you get where you are, but that doesn’t mean they are the right person to get you to the next level.
I couldn’t agree with this post more.
Agreed, I have 1 of them now and they will be gone soon!! I cant wait