Problems in the Workplace: Team Players

The old saying "one bad apple spoils the barrel" holds true in the workplace, where a single problem employee can derail a team. Workplace teams are commonplace and may be formal -- established to tackle a specific project or initiative -- or may represent a work group, division or department. For maximum organizational effectiveness, prevent problem employees from negatively impacting the group.

Teamwork in the Workplace

In an effective team, all players must share in the responsibilities and tasks. Although players may bring different strengths and skill sets, the team itself must develop a unified vision, with mutually agreeable goals and priorities. Develop an inclusive atmosphere by clearly defining each team member's role, and schedule meetings so that all members can be present. Individual team members should avoid making unilateral decisions or acting without input from other members. The goal is for a team to act cohesively to make joint decisions encompassing all interests.

Characteristics of Problem Team Players

Problem team members disrupt the work environment in a variety of ways. A good team player demonstrates commitment to the team, working cooperatively and jumping in to help whenever necessary. A problem team member detracts from the team by challenging the other members, increasing conflict, holding rigidly to his own ideas and bullying others to push through his own ideas. The poor team player fails to take on his share of the work, blaming others for problems and dwelling on the negative without offering solutions.

"Bad Apple" Effect

Research on problem team players, titled "How, When, and Why Bad Apples Spoil the Barrel: Negative Group Members and Dysfunctional Groups," published in the journal "Research in Organizational Behavior" in 2006, found that just one problem team member can destroy an otherwise functional team. Other team members react negatively and defensively to the problem employee in a range of ways that can include slacking off or withdrawing in response, seeking "covert revenge" or reacting explosively. The study found that teams with a "bad apple" performed poorly, with higher levels of conflict, lower cooperation and poor communication.

Dealing with Difficult Team Players

The 2006 study published in "Research in Organizational Behavior" found that while one "bad apple" can spoil the team, the presence of one or more star players on the team cannot reverse the effects. To deal effectively with a problem team player, management must react quickly. Team members may talk to the problem player to explain the impact of the behavior on the team and give him a chance to change. However, management should swiftly remove the individual from the team if this approach does not work, to prevent further damaging behavior. A 2009 article from the "Journal of Experimental Social Psychology" found that when the cost of negative behavior is great -- when the consequences for the "bad apple" include marginalization and social exclusion -- less incentive exists for the behavior to continue, and other team members are less likely to follow the problem employee's example.

References

• Dummies: Ten Qualities of an Effective Team Player
• ScienceDaily; Rotten to the Core: How Workplace 'Bad Apples' Spoil Barrels of Good Employees; February 2007
• "Research in Organizational Behavior"; How, When, and Why Bad Apples Spoil the Barrel: Negative Group Members and Dysfunctional Groups; Will Felps, et al.; 2006
• "Journal of Experimental Social Psychology"; How Many Bad Apples Does It Take to Spoil the Whole Barrel?: Social Exclusion and Toleration for Bad Apples; Norbert L. Kerr, et al.; 2009
• U.S. Department of Justice: Teamwork Strategies