Picking the Bad Apple

Every employee will be faced with the reality of having an incompetent, untrustworthy or dishonest associate within the work environment. Managers are no exception, though they have more tools with which to deal with that ‘bad apple’ than most employees. Know your company’s employee manual inside out and first use the remedies provided therein to deal with the problem. Sometimes the offending person is a favorite or perceived ‘untouchable’ within the organization. In those cases, discretion is very important. If anonymous remedies exist, use them. Otherwise, consider use of high visibility opportunities to set the stage for the bad apple to ‘pick’ themselves. Care must be taken to avoid reprisal, though, so proceed with caution. Knowing the offender’s tendencies, judicious use of questioning in meetings, seminars and encounters where superiors are present, may provide the path needed to clean up the apple cart.