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He’s a Superstar, but the Team Hates Him

High Performer Screaming and Pointing Finger

Screaming Man Pointing Finger

High-performing employees make our jobs easier but when there’s trouble in their private lives,  it can be a problem for everyone on the team, even if the work remains strong.   One recent example comes from the National Hockey League.

I love hockey and I look forward to the fall when the chase for Lord Stanley’s cup begins.  I have my favorite teams (Go Sharks, Go Caps) and I have teams that need to just go away (Talking to you Las Vegas) but in general, I simply love watching players display grace and athleticism with knives attached to their feet. It never ceases to amaze me. The other thing I love is getting under the hood and thinking about management issues with star athletes and the decisions managers, coaches and players make to keep the team working toward the ultimate goal – the Stanley Cup.

Enter Evander Kane, current left-wing for the San Jose Sharks. It is a well-documented fact that Evander’s life is a mess. that features bankruptcy, a nasty divorce, and several investigations by the NHL.  Apparently, he is a distraction in the locker room and his team wants him to go away but no other team wants him. Yes, he has all sorts of “issues”.  Yet, he was by far, the most productive player on the team last season. You’re his manager – how do you handle a great individual contributor but a horrible teammate? Welcome to the world of management.

Coming to work when your private life is in turmoil cannot be easy. It’s hard enough to be a consistently high performer when things are going great, so what do you do when your superstar becomes a pariah?   Here are some things to think about:

Remember, it’s about their work-life – not their home life

Yes, there’s a problem but you have to understand and stay within the boundaries.  Unless there are compulsory legal reporting requirements, I’m sorry to say, the cause is none of your business. You only get to address the effect on the workplace.   What do you do when your superstar has a negative effect on morale?  You try to find out what has everyone so angry and you stick to the facts: “ Debra, When you do X, Y happens, and it’s causing affecting the team in the following ways”.

You’re not a therapist and unless the employee volunteers the underlying cause, it’s none of your business. You don’t have a right to know the cause, but you do have the right (and the responsibility) to address the performance.

How do you do it?

  • Come from a place of caring. Show concern not only for the employee and for the team. Ask the employee,  “Are you ok? Looks like you’ve got a lot going on and I’m concerned”.  If available, remind them of company resources that might help.
  • Let them know you value their work but part of being a high performer is building strong relationships and they are not meeting expectations in that area.
  • Address the issue head-on. Be direct. “Your work is great but your relationship with the team is suffering. I need you to do some things differently”.
  • Be Specific. “Last week you yelled at Joe in the breakroom because you thought he ate your lunch. Remember that we respect everyone here and that includes how we conduct ourselves at all times”
  • Set clear expectations. “ Again, it’s clear you are going through a hard time and it’s great that you are performing the work at a high level, but you cannot be disrespectful and rude to people. Your relationship “performance” is unacceptable, and I expect immediate and sustained improvement starting now.
  • Show support. “A big part of my job is to make sure my people get what they need. Let me know how I can help.  I value your contribution to the team, and you’ve got my full support”

After the discussion

  • Immediate Action. Once you’ve had the discussion, the hard work is just beginning. Send the employee a confirming email detailing the conversation.  This serves two purposes: (1) It memorializes the content of the discussion should there be any disagreements about what was said, and (2) it serves as a paper trail in the event that disciplinary actions become necessary. If it isn’t in writing, it didn’t happen.
  • Next Step.  Continue to check in with the employee. If you are conducting routine 1:1s (and you should be), use the first minute to ask how things are going, tell your observations, and then move on to routine topics.