Dr. David Rafeedie

Sam was a team leader with an exemplary reputation. He was a good leader known to inspire his teams with what could be and to motivate them to accomplish their tasks with excellence. In every organization he served, the results he and his teams achieved were recognized and rewarded. Sam felt he could lead any team anywhere anytime.

Then along came Fred. The company hired Fred for a certain skill the manager felt would help bolster customer satisfaction and increase sales. Fred worked for many companies before being hired here. He had moved around quite a bit. But he had also been around a long time, and no one thought much of it. Every reference that Sam spoke with spoke highly of Fred as a person and affirmed his skill.

Fred had been a part of Sam’s team for about a year now. While he was skilled, it quickly became evident that Fred was not a team player. He was congenial; everyone liked him. In a meeting, he would agree with the consensus in team meetings. But once the meeting was over, Fred went his own way. He operated in his system apart from the team’s direction.

After many conversations, official counseling’s, and even a written warning, Fred continued to do his own thing, sometimes at odds with the rest of the team’s direction. His actions slowed the team, hindered success, and hurt morale.

 Sam didn’t recognize the damage of Fred’s behavior until his own review. Due to Fred’s behavior, Sam’s team culture changed and was characterized by sluggish performance and underachievement.

 Characteristics of a rogue team member.

•   Not getting done what they should be but focused on other things as priorities

• Habitually goes off on tangents not related to the discussion at hand but focused on their agenda in meetings.

• Rarely talks mission or vision.

• Doesn’t consider how their actions and start-ups impact others.

• At times fights against a decision that is implemented because it hinders their agenda or they do not like it—they may even have agreed to it during the discussion.

• Does not let go of their own view or agenda regardless of a decision that has been made.

In some circles perhaps, being a maverick is considered a good thing. I am reminded of the very funny SNL “Vice Presidential Debate” in 2008 in which the term, “Mavericky” was coined by Tina Fey impersonating Governor Sarah Palin. If you want a good laugh here is the link to the SNL debate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iyIbbxVzrU.

If you are trying to build a cohesive team, then you don’t want anyone behaving mavericky. Have great debate. Every team needs team members who will challenge the conventional thinking. The worst thing a healthy team can do is fall into groupthink. Here are a good definition and example of groupthink: https://investinganswers.com/financial-dictionary/businesses-corporations/groupthink-6191. But once a decision is reached, it is time to take off the maverick hat and put on the team hat.

 It cannot be overstated, having a maverick on the team will kill a team’s potential and impact the morale of those seeking to be a Performing team. See my article on team development. https://davidthecoach.com/blog-1/2018/1/18/team-building-moving-your-team-to-maximum-effectiveness.

 Here are four practical steps you can take when you have a rogue team member:

1. Don’t hesitate. If you see one or more of the characteristics listed above, take action immediately. Have a conversation explaining clearly the expectations for team members. Over time, if not dealt with, the problem only compounds. It impacts morale negatively; it hinders the achievement of the mission. If the initial conversation does not help the team member align with the direction and mission of the team, there should be consequences.

2. A formal counseling session with a record of the meeting signed and placed in the employee's personnel file. If the first session fails to change behavior, then have a second. If after the second formal counseling session the employee continues to behave in a matter detrimental to the team, step three should be employed.

3. Move the team member to non-team environment matching their skill set. Just because the team member doesn’t function well in a team, they may have skills your organization needs. Therefore, if you can place them in an environment where they can add value then it is a win-win. If you do not have a place for them in your organization, then step four may be your only choice.

4. If you have no place to move them, then you may have to let them go. Not many leaders enjoy letting people go. They understand the turmoil that can result in their team member’s life. The leader of any team ultimately has a responsibility to the team as a whole.  For the sake of team cohesiveness and effectiveness, rogue team members must be corrected or removed.

But there is an alternative intervention that is successful before having to reach step four. As my coach says, coaching changes everything. A formal coaching relationship can help a rogue team member become a productive team member. And not just the individual team member, but the whole team can benefit from coaching.

Either working with the team leader or the whole team, coaching can make a real difference in a team’s culture and performance by helping the team reach its capacity. Working with an experienced coach can help you and your team achieve more and achieve it faster than you thought possible. Email me at info@davidthecoach.com and let’s have a conversation. I would love to explore a coaching relationship with you.

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