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I am currently working with a client who has a seasoned employee that is working through some on-going challenges and the question on the table is one I hear a lot.

How much more investment should we make into this individual? 

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As we’ve begun to unpack this question and all the different variables involved, it left me thinking about the position of this leader and their level of loyalty with this individual which left me asking my own question. 

How do you know when loyalty has become your blind spot?

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On one side you have the years of service, their invested knowledge ,and the team’s investment all which you don’t want to throw out the window.  

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On the other side there are significant challenges, struggling team dynamics, and behavioral issues at play.

Weighing these areas, one more question that I believe often gets missed but definitely needs to be thrown into the mix is…

Who else needs your loyalty?

The answer: The Rest of Your Team! 

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So often I see leaders get stuck on this one individual and quickly disregard all those who are being affected adversely. Yes, it might feel like it’s costing you a lot to make the hard decision but it’s also costing you A LOT to continue as is. 

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Nothing gets better on its own and often gets worse over time. Nothing changes if nothing changes. 

So if you find yourself in one of these tough decisions, here are 6 areas to think through. 

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6 Factors to Decide if There’s a Need for Change:

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1.     Structure – What is the specific path forward? How is it different from before?

2.     Skilled Help – Are there any new resources, skills they can begin to learn?

3.     Self-Sustaining Motivation - They must admit they need help & are willing to change.

4.     Support – Who will help in this process & what type of accountability will they give?

5.     Systems to Monitor – Inspect what you expect.  When will we check back in?

6.     Success – What will the markers of success be? How will we know this is working? 

Of course you can do nothing and hope things get better BUT that might be the problem.

Hope buys time but it also spends it.

Instead of just hoping all will be well, it might be time to make changes with one team member rather than lose the whole team. 

So ask yourself…

Is My Loyalty Giving Me Tunnel Vision for the Decision in Front of Me? 

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