Do Unhappy Employees Stifle Innovation?

I recently read an article in Bloomberg Business Week titled, “Three people to fire immediately.” I know what you’re thinking – you loathe the idea of discussing problem areas that a certain ‘You Know Who’ needs to address. However sometimes, no matter how effective your management techniques, there are people who will not change and continue to block any progress your team is trying to make. So what then?

First, you cannot take the hiring process too lightly. As I say in my second book,Managing the Unmanageable, hiring is a pivotal part to running a successful, innovative company. Maybe you’re not even hiring – maybe you’re just putting a team together for a specific project. Either way, choose wisely and avoid three types of people: ‘Victims’, ‘Non-believers’, and ‘Know-it-alls.’

The Victims are essentially the complainers, those who never look for a solution. When selecting the best people for your team, ask a few interview questions that force this potential employee to think through a problem and present a solution. How did they respond? Creatively? They might be good for your team. Did they run out of time and then make excuses? Perhaps not the best fit.

For the Non-believers in your group, evaluate your organization. Does your work environment welcome all types of ideas and encourage creativity? If not, take a look at one of our past blogs, “How to Harness Creativity.” Think of putting the measures mentioned there into place.

Then come the Know-it-alls, a tough bunch, since they think their line of reasoning is the best. Again, look at your organization first. Does it embrace failure and share lessons learned? If not, host team meetings where teams share a win and a discovery made through a ‘failure’. In addition, during the team selection phase or hiring process, find out whether your new team member dreams of the impossible or only of the possible. Ask about her goals for the future, and give her a hypothetical question such as, “Suppose someone proposed xx idea, what are the chances that it will succeed or fail, and why?”

Everyone has different personalities, which is a good thing. Yet if someone continues to stifle progress and refuse to make the necessary changes, it might be time to let them move on to another job or project that may make her and her team members happier.