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"Hi, there!
...here's the BIG question, "Is Attila the Hun
worth fixing?"
Marilyn
The answer is, of course, "it
depends". Organizations can tolerate bad behavior in talented,
contributing key players...to a point. But eventually the time
comes when a decision needs to be made. If legal, moral or
ethical issues arise because of their antics, then
sacking Attila is the only option. However, there
are other times when "fixing" Attila the Hun is a good
business decision, provided two important success factors are
present:
1. Attila
acknowledges and understands why
his/her intimidating or alienating behavior is a problem.
2. Attila has a boss ready
and willing to take on the responsibility of
being his/her sponsor during the process.
Managing around an Attila the
Hun-type is not new, and if your organization has one, you've
got plenty of company! In fact, The Business Research Lab has
been collecting examples of "bad bosses" with disgraceful
behavior for some time now. You can add
your own experience.
The cumulative,
negative affects of continuing to allow the dysfunctional
behavior typical of an Attila the Hun can take a
serious toll on an organization's performance. In my
experience, many times it's the single biggest "rock in
the road" to real growth because
- Good people leave
- Communication
stagnates
- Elaborate work-arounds
get put into place
- Morale and leadership
credibility plummets
- Customer loyalty
tanks
With so much at
stake, bringing in a coach to work with the
individual seems a wise investment with the
potential for a tremendous rate of return. It's a
real opportunity for a win/win solution - Attila learns
new skills and gets his/her career back on track and the
organization keeps the unique talent that
Attila possesses(after all, isn't that why you've
been willing to look the other way for so long?), and
gets its performance back moving in the right
direction.
Keep reaching for the stars,
Marilyn
P.S. Wishing you the very best of the
holiday season and a stellar New
Year! | 
