Dealing with Toxic Staff? Why Training Is Not the Answer

We've all been there. You're working on a project or initiative, and you find yourself working around someone on the team. It's a pain, but it's easier than working with them. So, let’s talk about dealing with toxic staff today.

Listen to the episode or scroll down to read the blog post ↓

Key Points:

02:04 The big problem of having toxic staff on your team

03:43 The importance of performance combined with trust

05:03 The team members you want to invest in

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We've all been there. You're working on a project or initiative, and you find yourself working around someone on the team. It's a pain, but it's easier than working with them. 

Do they need training? 

Training can help create cross-functional relationships needed to get work done. It can help motivate staff to contribute in new ways. It can build the skills and confidence needed to be effective. But training won't fix a toxic team member. (Click to tweet)

“I often joke that I have two expectations for people, be kind and do your job [...] yet we allow people to stay in their jobs when they are unkind to others. We say we want to create an inclusive culture where people feel seen, heard, and valued, and yet we have employees who create the opposite environment. And if that's the case, training may not be the answer..” - Heather Burright, episode 28 of Learning for Good

The Problem of Having Toxic Staff on Your Team

In episode 28, I shared that staff might be creating an environment where people don’t feel seen, heard, valued, and respected. Which I imagine is exactly the opposite of what your organization wants.

In episode 27, I had a great conversation with Veronica LaFemina about this. She pointed out that organizational culture can be the most important strategy for a non-profit when it comes to employee performance and retention. Because the bottom line is you won’t always be able to compete with the for-profit sector regarding salaries and benefits. But you can offer a culture where people feel truly valued, seen, and heard. 

And to do that you will need the right kind of people.

The Importance of Performance Combined with Trust

Simon Sinek talks about the importance of performance combined with trust. He points out that everyone wants the high performer employee with high trust in their team, of course.

But as Simon Sinek points out, the high-performer employee with low trust is toxic to the organization. (Click to tweet)

It's better to have a mid-level performer or even a low-level performer with high trust. 

So, back to the original question, is training the answer? 

Ask yourself this:

Is this person that we are working around a high performer with low trust, or are they a mid or low-level performer with high trust?

If the person is a high performer with low trust, I believe the answer is no.

Should you talk to the person privately about their behavior? Absolutely. 

Should you document the conversation and their actions, and give them a chance to improve? Sure.

Should you ignore the behavior? Absolutely not. 

Is training the answer? I personally don't think so. 

Now, if the person that you're working around is a mid or even low-level performer with high trust, my answer is totally different. 

“This person creates the organizational or team culture we know is needed. We can train them to be a better performer. They aren't toxic to the team. And they aren't toxic to the organization.” - Heather Burright, episode 28 of Learning for Good

The Team Members You Want to Invest In

These mid or low-level performers with HIGH TRUST are the people we want to invest in. (Click to tweet)

So, the first step to take from here is to identify what it is you need them to do differently to increase performance.
Sit down with them, share those thoughts, and find out if there are any barriers to doing the things that you need them to do. 

Do they even know they were supposed to do those things? Do they know how to do those things?

Remove the barriers and provide the resources they need. 

That means training them, mentoring them, providing feedback, and then sitting back and watching them shine.

The Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective

Do you wish you could connect with other nonprofit learning and development leaders? 

I know what it feels like to want someone to bounce ideas off of and to learn from, someone who really understands you and your work. Imagine if you could have a simple way to meet people in the field, ask questions, and share information. 

That's why I created the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective – so nonprofit L&D, talent management, and DEI leaders can connect with each other quickly and easily in a virtual space. 

When you join this community, you will walk away with a new, diverse, and powerful network – and a sounding board for your staff development needs. 

So if you're ready to exchange ideas and collaborate with your peers, come join the Nonprofit L&D Collective.