What To Do When You Encounter Someone Who’s Just A ‘Bad Egg’

You have put your heart and soul into building up your business from scratch to get it to where it is today. Countless late nights, countless early mornings, to build something that you are proud of, that makes a real, positive difference to the lives of your clients and your team.

No one knows the hours you have put in. No one knows how much effort you have put into developing yourself and those around you, not to mention sales, admin and hiring. Your business scales and you have to let go of some of the things that you once looked after. You train and you trust. Train others how to do it, trust them to deliver. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes your training isn’t good enough. Sometimes they’re not good enough.

Never feel you have to apologize for holding someone else to the high standards you hold yourself to. Ask ‘why’ more. Why am I micromanaging you? Because I don’t trust that you can do this. Why am I pulling you up on your actions? Because they’re not good enough. Why aren’t you getting the progression you want? Because you don’t warrant it.

When growing a business you cannot underestimate the toxic environment that can be created from one bad egg. What starts as gossip and whispers turns to an eye roll across the room, then private messages, then to downright vicious and malicious lies. The good eggs will stay out of it. Those on the fence will join in. The ringleader will play the victim. You will find yourself genuinely wondering if they are deliberately sabotaging everything or if they are just plain stupid. Either way, it doesn’t matter, you have to get them out as soon as possible. Out of the office, out of your head, out of the minds of those they have intoxicated.

The bad egg is toxic, make no mistake. They will speak as if they are the spokesperson of ‘everyone’ in the office, but won’t be able to specify who ‘everyone’ refers to. They will speak as if they are the victim, powerless to change anything, even if they were in a position where they could. They won’t be happy unless there is an ‘us’ and ‘them’ situation. They will dramatize every situation. They will talk behind your back, they will find a common enemy, they will roll their eyes and always have a hidden meaning in their words.

Get them out, at all costs. However, you do it, however much it costs you, get them out. Breathe a sigh of relief. Focus on the awesome team you have around you. Continue to flourish together.