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Rarely do toxic employees add that trait to their resume or job application.  We all know they exist. Yet, too often managers fail to address the issue.  Toxic employees chase good employees out the door. Who wants to work with someone they cannot be around?

They are not hard to spot. The complain about their job. They complain about coworkers. They hate their boss.  Too often we look the other way. No one that I know likes firing people. So, we ignore them – but, at what cost?

Research has shown that 54% of your good people are likely to quit when they are working with toxic ones.  That means each toxic person is likely affecting half of your workforce! What should you do?

I have been an email user since 1986. I worked in the tech industry and we were early adopters of email. Of course, there was not a public internet then. So, we used email within the company. And, we quickly learned email etiquette. It is an art that is long forgotten.

First, let me say that email does not take things off your plate and put them on mine. “I sent him an email.” That is not an excuse to wait until I get back to you. Follow up if necessary — even by phone!

Second, it is not meant for discussion. That is what meetings are for. Email does not support nuance well. Nor does it allow for me to see your facial expressions. And, too often, it leads to misunderstandings and escalation.

BY JENNIFER FARNSWORTH

For Susan Porlier, finding success has come with doing what she loves to do. She always knew she loved animals, so she found a way to make a living n that field.

Now, it’s been over a decade since she first opened Bellyrubs Doggie Daycare and her passion for dogs is still fueling her success. She has two sites, at 44 Feeder St. in Hudson Falls and 1089 Saratoga Road, Gansevoort.

“I have been in business for 13 1/2 years. I now have two locations and 14 employees. I never in my wildest dreams thought my idea of a doggie daycare and boarding facility would take off like it did. We also do dog grooming and training,” Porlier said.

Porlier said she always looked after family pets. She came to a point in her life where she decided to give up her career in the medical field and pursue her dream of opening her own daycare and boarding facility.

“I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I never went to college. I have always loved animals, so when I came up with this idea, I finally knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I am truly blessed,” said Porlier.

The first reason is that you simply do not trust each other.   In “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”, Patrick Lencioni writes that the absence of trust is the biggest reason teams do not work well together.

This is because we are not often trained to be vulnerable and to trust the people we work with.  We ascribe bad motives to what others do.  We snap to judgment of others.  You need to build trust to make good decisions. 

The second reason is a fear of conflict. We were taught in kindergarten that everyone must get along. Even if that means holding back on contrary views.  If we don’t trust each other, we cannot have a good debate about options to solving problems.  This hurts the team because we do not bring our best ideas to the table.

Walk into Peter’s Diner in Glens Falls and there is a sign on the register: “In God We Trust, all others pay cash.” You’ve seen it many places. It is an affirmation that you only make money when you have the cash. Peter started the business in 1961 and they still charge a very fair price for their food. They keep prices low by making sure they know what things cost, producing a good value meal for people when they eat. What does it mean in your business?

According to Business Finance Magazine the average invoice is paid in 46 days. Many of your payables are older than that. Add the amount of time that the item stayed on your shelf. When you factor in that most of your suppliers are not quite as lenient as you may be, you may soon run short of your own cash.

You are now a creditor. I define creditor as someone whose memory is better than the debtor. And remember 50% of all businesses failures are directly related to a lack of cash.

If you are trying to hire, you will wind up interviewing Millennials.  They DO bring a different mentality to work.  Some good, some less than good.  One of my mentors said “I can’t change anyone’s behavior.  But, I have the right to rent behavior during the workday.”  Let’s focus on how you can set ground rules.

Recently, I was the speaker at a session for the NextGen group at the Chamber.  One of the keys I left with them was that they needed to focus on what others want.  I explained that written notes go a long way to thank people.  Email and texts don’t count. 

The key is to use your rules for your business.  At that NextGen session, I explained that we all could learn from each other.   It is important for them to know what makes us tick.

For many years I had a picture on my office door.  It was a monkey with the universal “NO” sign. When someone asked about the picture, I replied, “I do not like monkeys.  I don’t feed them or care for them.  I give them no water.  If you give me a monkey, I assure you that eventually, it will die.”

My job as a leader was to help people solve their work issues.  That is the duty of any leader or manager. Too often people wanted to deposit their monkeys at my door.  They came in and said something like “I have a problem.”  They expected me to take on the task.  I did not.

How often do people walk in and want to dump their monkey?  Recently I was with a client (“Bob”). Bob and I had been discussing how Bob felt overwhelmed with work.  An employee came in with a customer problem that he could not resolve.  Bob said he would call the customer.