I was talking on the phone the other day to an old colleague and friend. We worked together more than a decade ago, and she now lives thousands of miles away and works for a different company.
She’s one of those colleagues that really leaves an impression on you. You know the kind… super smart, funny, and crazy good at what she did. I remember being in awe of her skills and talents and trying to absorb as much from her as I possibly could.
The last time we talked, she had joined a new company and was loving it. I was so thrilled for her. But when we spoke this time, things were different.
She told me she still loved her work and her team, but one team member was making life difficult, not just for her but for everyone on the team. She shared that this person’s behavior and attitude were very hostile and bordered on bullying.
That’s when she dropped the bombshell on me. She was looking for another job.
My jaw hit the floor. I wasn’t shocked that she’d want to work somewhere else with a better culture and work environment; I was shocked that the situation had not been addressed and that the company was going to lose her.
Did they know what they were about to lose???
When we hung up, that’s when it hit me—the sadness. I felt sad for her and sad for her company. They were about to lose a very talented, engaged, go-above-and-beyond employee (and probably others like her) because they didn’t manage onetoxic employee appropriately.
This is a true story, and unfortunately, it’s also a very common scenario.
We see it all the time. When leaders are not equipped to deal with performance issues, handle tough conversations, and hold people accountable, companies lose good people — oh wait, not good people, GREAT people.
Unfortunately, 85% of leaders do not get training before entering management. It’s shocking…and it costs companies big time. We believe wholeheartedly that leaders want to be good at leading people, but they don’t know what they’re doing wrong or what to do differently.
Being a leader is really freaking hard! That’s why we do what we do. It’s why we coach. It’s why we teach. It’s why we love partnering with organizations – because we believe we can help, and it can be better…one team at a time.
To learn more about Slingshot25 and how we’re helping companies everywhere, check out our website at Slingshot25.com and contact us at Slingshot25.com/contact.