Are you and your business being held hostage?

An individual creates business hostage situations with great results and actions detrimental to everyone inside the organization. These teammates are not team players, processes and procedures are for everyone but them, and they don’t fit or adhere to your values … but the results are amazing.

If you challenged them on how their attitude and actions grind the team down, they might grunt at you and then say, "Do you want me to be nice to people, or do you want me to make sales?”

They are fondly labeled as challengers or mavericks, but they are internal terrorists.

Do you have an internal terrorist? Someone who is holding you, your business, and your culture hostage for the almighty results they bring?

What do you do if you have an internal terrorist in your organization?

1. Decide

Deciding may be the hardest part. What kind of company culture do you want to steward? Are those values you tout true for everyone? Or just those that it’s convenient for?

2. Accountability

You know, when you start holding this person accountable, it will not be pretty. Challengers will challenge you and want to see if this is real. You aren’t holding them accountable to the results. That’s their fallback and broken record. You are holding them accountable to the values and culture of your company. The first conversation is the hardest. I suggest that you use FETCH.

3. Resolve

Do you mean it? Do you? You will have to make the decision repeatedly and hold them accountable.

4. Plan

But what about their results?

When you lose this person (because they will leave rather than change), I've found a short-term loss becomes a long-term gain. Your culture will change quickly and for the better. Your team may come and ask you “Why did you wait so long?” And then the team will work to make up for whatever was lost in results.

Don’t be held hostage. Don’t negotiate. Don’t Settle.

Quick aside: Is this you? Yes, you, top leader. Are you a terrorist in your own organization because you own it? Reread the above description, then take a quick look in the mirror. If you are not walking the talk, you need to de-terrorize yourself. Your team will thank you. Not sure? Ask them.