We often talk about how difficult it can be when you have a toxic manager. Here at Fast Company, we’ve shared plenty of advice on how to handle a micromanager, or what to do when your boss is absent or neglects to give you important feedback. But bosses, too, can face their own share of challenges navigating tricky relationships with people they manage. So what do you do when you have to deal with a toxic employee?
Check your assumptions
First, it’s important to identify what behaviors are actually toxic, business consultant Vincent Sanderson writes in Fast Company. “Once we start using that label, we risk seeing everything they do through that lens,” he says. “For example, if they challenge someone, stand up for themselves, or dig their heels in because they think something is important, we might automatically assume they’re being difficult or toxic.” (There are also signs you can look out for while hiring, to ensure you don’t bring someone onto your team with potentially toxic traits.)
In certain cases, an employee who seems difficult might actually be grappling with personal issues that are affecting how they show up at work. Or they might be lacking support from you or your team and feel like their voice isn’t being heard. When the problem seems to go deeper, however, it’s best to start with a one-on-one conversation discussing their behavior.
Listen effectively
The goal is to share what you’ve observed about the employee and discuss how to proceed in a constructive, collaborative way. “Remember, when you go into this conversation, you’re there to listen,” Sanderson writes. He recommends saying something like, “I can see this is something you disagree with,” or “I get the sense this is frustrating for you to talk about,” if an employee gets defensive or frustrated during the conversation.
Consider the team
All that said, it’s still important to set clear boundaries for their conduct going forward—especially if they don’t show signs of changing after an initial conversation. After all, toxic employees can put a strain on an entire team or even organization, leading to higher rates of burnout among their colleagues. “At the end of the day, you have to protect the rest of the team, too,” Sanderson writes. “You can’t allow someone to continuously behave in a way that disrupts others.”