E-book - Strategies to deal with a bad apple - Roberto Lico

ROBERTO LICO
Strategies to
Deal with a
Bad Apple
Employee

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Strategies to deal with a bad apple employee!
Roberto Lico – licoreis@licoreis.com.br
Dear reader,
Thank you for your interest in learning
“Strategies to deal with a bad apple employee.”
Our main intention is to share different
approaches, based on internet research aiming
to improve the working environment and
companies and employees´ achievements.
The author – Roberto Lico
licoreis@licoreis.com.br

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I – Introduction:
What is a bad apple employee?
A "bad apple" employee typically refers to an
individual within a company or organization who
exhibits negative behavior or performs poorly in
their job.
This term is often used metaphorically, drawing
from the idiom "a few bad apples spoil the
bunch."

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In the context of the workplace, it suggests that
the presence of one or a few employees with
problematic behavior or poor performance can
have a detrimental impact on the overall work
environment, team morale, and productivity.
A bad apple employee may display various
characteristics, including:
▪ Poor performance:
▪ Failing to meet job expectations,
consistently underperforming, or not
fulfilling assigned tasks.
▪ Negative attitude:
▪ Displaying a consistently pessimistic
or uncooperative attitude, which can
affect team dynamics and morale.

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▪ Lack of accountability:
▪ Avoiding responsibility for mistakes,
blaming others, or refusing to take
ownership of one's actions.
▪ Unethical behavior:
▪ Engaging in activities that violate
company policies or ethical standards,
such as dishonesty, fraud, or
harassment.
▪ Poor interpersonal skills: Struggling to work
effectively with colleagues, clients, or
superiors, leading to communication
breakdowns and conflicts.

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II – Most important behaviors
of a Bad Apple Employee:
Identifying a "bad apple" employee can involve
recognizing various negative behaviors that can
harm the work environment and impact team
dynamics. Here are ten potential behaviors that
may characterize a problematic employee:
Consistent Underperformance:
▪ Failing to meet job expectations and consistently
producing subpar work.
Negative Attitude:
▪ Displaying a consistently pessimistic outlook,
complaining frequently, and undermining team
morale.

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Lack of Accountability:
▪ Avoiding responsibility for mistakes, blaming
others, or refusing to admit errors.
Poor Communication:
▪ Engaging in ineffective communication,
creating misunderstandings, and contributing
to conflicts within the team.
Resistance to Change:
▪ Resisting new processes or initiatives and
hindering the team's ability to adapt to
evolving circumstances.
Unethical Behavior:
▪ Engaging in dishonest actions, violating
company policies, or behaving unethically.

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Lack of Team Collaboration:
▪ Failing to collaborate with team members,
creating a disruptive and uncooperative work
environment.
Insubordination:
▪ Disregarding authority, refusing to follow
instructions, or openly challenging
management decisions.
Poor Time Management:
▪ Consistently missing deadlines,
procrastinating, and causing delays in project
completion.

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Conflict Instigation:
▪ Actively contributing to conflicts within the
team, fostering a negative atmosphere, and
disrupting group cohesion.
Micromanagement:
▪ Constantly interfering in the work of others,
exhibiting control issues, and undermining
team autonomy.
Lack of Initiative:
▪ Demonstrating a lack of motivation,
unwillingness to take on new responsibilities,
and a passive approach to work.

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Inability to Adapt:
▪ Struggling to adapt to changes in the work
environment, technology, or processes,
hindering progress.
Poor Attendance:
▪ Consistently arriving late, taking excessive
time off, or displaying a pattern of
absenteeism.
Sabotage or Undermining:
▪ Actively working against the success of
colleagues, spreading rumors, or
undermining team cohesion.

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Poor Interpersonal Skills:
▪ Difficulty building positive relationships,
causing tension and conflict within the team.
Failure to Meet Deadlines:
▪ Repeatedly missing project deadlines,
causing delays and negatively impacting team
productivity.
Lack of Professionalism:
▪ Engaging in unprofessional behavior, such as
inappropriate language, attire, or conduct.
Refusal to Accept Feedback:
▪ Being defensive or unresponsive to
constructive criticism, hindering personal and
professional growth.

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Gossiping:
▪ Engaging in spreading rumors or gossip,
which can create a toxic and divisive
workplace culture.
Excessive Complaining:
▪ Complaining regularly without offering
solutions, contributing to a negative
atmosphere.
Misuse of Company Resources:
▪ Using company resources for personal gain,
violating company policies, or engaging in
theft.

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Lack of Respect for Authority:
▪ Disregarding authority, challenging superiors
openly, and fostering a disrespectful
atmosphere.
Inability to Work in a Team:
▪ Demonstrating an unwillingness or inability
to collaborate effectively with colleagues.
Mood Swings:
▪ Displaying erratic or unpredictable behavior,
negatively impacting team stability and
morale.

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Lack of Initiative:
▪ Demonstrating a passive approach to work,
avoiding taking on responsibilities, and
waiting for explicit instructions.
Failure to Learn from Mistakes:
▪ Repeating the same errors without making
efforts to learn, grow, or improve
performance.
Dishonesty:
▪ Engaging in deceitful practices, providing
false information, or being untrustworthy.

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Entitlement:
▪ Displaying a sense of entitlement, expecting
special treatment, and refusing to adhere to
company policies.
Inflexibility:
▪ Resisting changes in work processes,
methodologies, or assignments, hindering
progress.
Overstepping Boundaries:
▪ Crossing professional or ethical boundaries,
potentially leading to conflicts or legal issues.
Inability to Prioritize:
▪ Failing to prioritize tasks effectively, resulting
in missed deadlines and incomplete projects.

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Inattention to Detail:
▪ Consistently overlooking important details,
leading to errors and quality issues.
Lack of Goal Alignment:
▪ Failing to align personal goals with
organizational objectives, hindering overall
team success.
Neglecting Professional Development:
▪ Ignoring opportunities for training, skill
development, and career advancement.

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Lack of Transparency:
▪ Withholding information, creating a culture
of secrecy, and hindering effective
communication.
Undermining Team Spirit:
▪ Actively working against team cohesion,
fostering a competitive or divisive
atmosphere.
Failure to Delegate:
▪ Holding onto tasks and responsibilities,
unwilling to share workload or empower
team members.

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Engaging in Office Politics:
▪ Manipulating situations, forming alliances, or
engaging in political maneuvering to the
detriment of the team.
Inability to Handle Stress:
▪ Responding poorly to pressure, exhibiting
emotional instability, and negatively
impacting team dynamics.
Lack of Customer Focus:
▪ Disregarding the needs and concerns of
customers, leading to dissatisfaction and
potential business repercussions.

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Inability to Accept Constructive Criticism:
▪ Reacting negatively to feedback, becoming
defensive, and refusing to make necessary
improvements.
Poor Conflict Resolution Skills:
▪ Contributing to conflicts within the team
without attempting to resolve or mediate
issues.
Excessive Absenteeism:
▪ Frequently missing work without valid
reasons, negatively impacting team
productivity and morale.

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Overbearing Behavior:
▪ Dominating conversations, projects, or
decision-making processes, hindering
collaboration.
Ignoring Company Policies:
▪ Consistently disregarding established
company rules and policies, creating a
culture of non-compliance.
Overpromising and Underdelivering:
▪ Making commitments that consistently go
unfulfilled, leading to broken trust and
disappointment.

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Sabotaging Team Goals:
▪ Actively working against the achievement of
team or departmental goals for personal
reasons.
Failure to learn and Adapt:
▪ Demonstrating an unwillingness to acquire
new skills or adapt to evolving industry
trends.
Inappropriate Social Media Use:
▪ Engaging in unprofessional behavior on social
media platforms that reflects poorly on the
company.

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Undermining Leadership:
▪ Subtly or overtly challenging leadership
decisions, creating a divisive atmosphere
within the team.
Creating a Hostile Work Environment:
▪ Engaging in bullying, harassment, or
discriminatory behavior, negatively impacting
workplace culture.
Lack of Empathy:
▪ Disregarding the feelings and needs of
colleagues, creating a cold or unsupportive
work environment.

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Excessive Self-Promotion:
▪ Constantly seeking recognition without
contributing significantly to team efforts.
Failure to Complete Assigned Training:
▪ Neglecting mandatory training programs,
potentially compromising skills and
knowledge.
Mismanagement of Resources:
▪ Wasteful use of company resources, such as
budget, equipment, or supplies, without
regard for efficiency.

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Passive-Aggressive Behavior:
▪ Expressing negative feelings or resentment
indirectly, making it challenging to address
and resolve issues.
Overreliance on Others:
▪ Consistently relying on colleagues to
complete tasks without contributing one's
fair share of effort.
Lack of Initiative in Self-Improvement:
▪ Failing to actively seek opportunities for
professional growth or skill enhancement.

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Disruptive Presence in Meetings:
▪ Consistently derailing meetings, creating
distractions, or contributing to a negative
atmosphere.
Failure to Uphold Confidentiality:
▪ Breaching confidentiality agreements,
potentially jeopardizing sensitive
information.
Inability to Accept Responsibility:
▪ Avoiding accountability for mistakes, even
when evidence points to one's involvement.

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Poor Time Management of Others:
▪ Causing delays for colleagues by not meeting
shared deadlines or failing to fulfill
collaborative responsibilities.
Unwillingness to Share Knowledge:
▪ Hoarding information and skills, hindering
the team's overall knowledge and
capabilities.
Excessive Use of Personal Devices:
▪ Distracted use of personal devices during
work hours, negatively impacting
productivity.

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Excessive Complacency:
▪ Displaying a lack of motivation or drive to
excel, settling for mediocre performance.
Ignoring Workplace Health and Safety
Guidelines:
▪ Disregarding safety protocols, potentially
putting oneself and others at risk.
Poor Customer Service Skills:
▪ Displaying a lack of courtesy, responsiveness,
or empathy when dealing with clients or
customers.

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Inability to Accept Team Feedback:
▪ Reacting negatively to feedback from team
members, hindering collaborative
improvement.
Failure to Adhere to Deadlines:
▪ Consistently missing project or task
deadlines, causing disruptions and impacting
overall efficiency.
Clearly Define Expectations:
▪ Ensure that job roles, responsibilities, and
performance expectations are clearly
communicated and documented.

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III – Strategies to deal with a
Bad Apple Employee:
Provide Constructive Feedback:
▪ Offer specific, constructive feedback on the
problematic behaviors, focusing on
observable actions and their impact.
Establish Open Communication:
▪ Encourage open dialogue to understand the
employee's perspective and reasons behind
their behavior.

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Document Incidents:
▪ Keep a record of specific incidents,
performance issues, or inappropriate
behaviors for documentation purposes.
Set Performance Improvement Goals:
▪ Collaboratively establish measurable goals
for improvement with the employee,
outlining the expected changes in behavior.
Offer Training and Development:
▪ Provide opportunities for skill development
or training to address specific performance
gaps or behavioral issues.

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Implement a Performance Improvement Plan
(PIP):
▪ If necessary, create a formal Performance
Improvement Plan outlining expectations,
timelines, and consequences for non-
compliance.
Involve Human Resources:
▪ Consult with HR to ensure that all actions and
interventions comply with company policies
and legal requirements.
Seek Mediation or Counseling:
▪ Consider involving a neutral third party, such
as a mediator or counselor, to help facilitate
communication and resolution.

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Monitor Progress:
▪ Regularly assess the employee's progress,
providing feedback and guidance along the
way.
Use Positive Reinforcement:
▪ Acknowledge and reinforce positive changes
in behavior through praise and recognition.
Address Team Impact:
▪ Communicate with the rest of the team
transparently about the situation without
violating confidentiality, emphasizing a
commitment to a healthy work environment.

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Provide a Final Warning:
▪ If improvement is not observed, issue a final
written warning clearly outlining the
consequences if the behavior persists.
Explore Reassignment or Transfer:
▪ If appropriate, explore the possibility of
reassigning the employee to a different role
or team that better aligns with their skills and
temperament.
Consider Termination:
▪ If all else fails and the employee's behavior
continues to negatively impact the team and
company, termination may be the last resort.

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Team Building Activities:
▪ Organize team-building activities to improve
overall team dynamics and encourage
collaboration.
Provide Mentorship:
▪ Assign a mentor or coach to work closely
with the problematic employee to provide
guidance and support.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP):
▪ If personal issues are affecting performance,
offer access to Employee Assistance
Programs for counseling or support.

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Peer Review:
▪ Involve colleagues in providing feedback
through a structured peer review process,
fostering a sense of collective responsibility.
Reevaluate Job Fit:
▪ Assess whether the employee is in the right
role, and explore opportunities for
reassignment if a better fit exists elsewhere
in the organization.
Incentives for Improvement:
▪ Offer incentives or rewards for demonstrated
improvement in behavior and performance.

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Use Progressive Discipline:
▪ Implement a progressive discipline approach,
starting with verbal warnings and escalating
consequences if necessary.
Encourage Self-Reflection:
▪ Encourage the employee to reflect on their
behavior and its impact on the team,
fostering personal accountability.
Legal Consultation:
▪ Seek legal advice to ensure that actions taken
align with employment laws and regulations,
especially in sensitive cases.

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Provide Additional Resources:
▪ Offer additional resources or support, such as
additional training or access to tools, to help
the employee meet expectations.
Reevaluate Management Style:
▪ Assess whether the management style
contributes to the problematic behavior and
consider adjustments if necessary.
Conflict Resolution Training:
▪ Provide training in conflict resolution to the
entire team, fostering better communication
and interpersonal skills.

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Flexible Work Arrangements:
▪ Explore flexible work arrangements to
accommodate personal challenges while
maintaining performance standards.
Employee Engagement Initiatives:
▪ Implement initiatives to boost overall
employee engagement, potentially mitigating
negative behavior.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
▪ Facilitate collaboration with employees from
different departments to broaden
perspectives and encourage positive
interactions.

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Peer Counseling:
▪ Encourage the employee to participate in
peer counseling or mentoring programs
within the organization.
Establish Clear Consequences:
▪ Clearly communicate the consequences of
continued problematic behavior, ensuring
the employee understands the potential
outcomes.
Rotate Responsibilities:
▪ Consider rotating the employee's
responsibilities to provide a fresh perspective
and potentially address performance issues.

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Behavioral Contract:
▪ Develop a behavioral contract outlining
expectations and consequences, with both
the employee and management signatures.
Implement a Probationary Period:
▪ Institute a probationary period during which
the employee must demonstrate sustained
improvement to retain their position.
Encourage Self-Development:
▪ Provide resources and support for the
employee's self-development, such as access
to training courses or workshops.

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Team Intervention:
▪ Facilitate a team intervention where team
members collectively address the issues and
work towards resolution.
Involve a Neutral Third Party:
▪ Engage an external mediator or HR specialist
to conduct an impartial investigation and
recommend solutions.
Rotate Leadership Roles:
▪ Rotate leadership roles within the team to
encourage a more collaborative and inclusive
environment.

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Employee Surveys:
▪ Use employee surveys to gather anonymous
feedback about team dynamics and identify
areas for improvement.
Encourage Time Management Training:
▪ Recommend time management training to
address issues related to missed deadlines
and poor task prioritization.
Professional Coaching:
▪ Provide access to professional coaching
services to help the employee develop
necessary skills and overcome challenges.

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Implement Flexibility:
▪ Introduce flexible work hours or remote work
options to accommodate personal needs
while maintaining productivity.
Social Integration Activities:
▪ Organize social integration activities to
strengthen relationships within the team and
improve overall workplace culture.
Behavioral Assessment:
▪ Consider utilizing behavioral assessments to
gain insights into the employee's strengths,
weaknesses, and preferred work styles.

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Encourage Self-Reflection:
▪ Prompt the employee to engage in self-
reflection about their behavior, performance,
and its impact on the team.
Facilitate Team-Building Workshops:
▪ Arrange team-building workshops to enhance
collaboration, communication, and mutual
understanding among team members.
Establish a Mentorship Program:
▪ Pair the problematic employee with a mentor
within the organization who can provide
guidance and support.

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Implement a Flextime Schedule:
▪ Introduce flexible work hours to
accommodate the employee's personal
needs, fostering a better work-life balance.
Implement a Recognition Program:
▪ Establish a recognition program that
acknowledges and rewards positive
behaviors and achievements.
Continuous Performance Feedback:
▪ Provide ongoing, real-time feedback to the
employee to address issues promptly and
guide improvement.

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Encourage Work-Life Balance:
▪ Promote a healthy work-life balance,
emphasizing the importance of well-being for
both personal and professional growth.
Counseling Services:
▪ Offer access to counseling services for
personal or work-related issues that may be
impacting the employee's behavior.
Create a Supportive Environment:
▪ Foster a culture of support and collaboration
within the team, encouraging open
communication and problem-solving.

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Implement a Team Charter:
▪ Develop a team charter that outlines shared
values, goals, and expectations, fostering a
sense of collective responsibility.
Utilize Employee Assistance Programs (EAP):
▪ Promote the use of EAP resources, providing
confidential assistance for personal and
professional challenges.
Encourage Physical Well-being:
▪ Promote physical well-being by providing
resources or incentives for activities that
contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

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Clarify Consequences of Non-Compliance:
▪ Clearly communicate the potential
consequences of non-compliance with
company policies or behavioral expectations.
Job Rotation:
▪ Explore opportunities for job rotation to
expose the employee to different aspects of
the organization and develop new skills.
Provide Positive Role Models:
▪ Introduce positive role models within the
organization to inspire the employee and
demonstrate desired behaviors.

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Encourage Wellness Programs:
▪ Implement wellness programs that focus on
physical and mental well-being, promoting a
healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Implement Conflict Resolution Training:
▪ Provide training in conflict resolution
techniques for the entire team to enhance
interpersonal skills and manage conflicts
effectively.
Establish a Feedback Culture:
▪ Cultivate a culture of regular feedback within
the team, encouraging open communication
and continuous improvement.

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Encourage Volunteerism:
▪ Promote volunteer opportunities or
community engagement activities to foster a
sense of social responsibility and teamwork.
Introduce Team-Building Retreats:
▪ Organize team-building retreats or offsite
activities to create a relaxed and
collaborative atmosphere.
Flexible Work Arrangements:
▪ Explore and implement flexible work
arrangements, such as compressed
workweeks or telecommuting, to
accommodate individual needs.

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Offer Conflict Mediation Services:
▪ Provide access to professional conflict
mediation services to facilitate resolution in a
neutral and unbiased manner.
Introduce a Peer Recognition Program:
▪ Establish a peer recognition program where
team members can acknowledge and
appreciate each other's contributions.
Encourage Cross-Functional Collaboration:
▪ Facilitate opportunities for collaboration with
colleagues from different departments,
promoting a diverse and inclusive work
environment.

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Organize Team-building Challenges:
▪ Create team-building challenges or
competitions that encourage cooperation,
problem-solving, and healthy competition.
Implement a Leadership Development Program:
▪ Enroll the problematic employee in a
leadership development program to enhance
leadership skills and self-awareness.
Explore Sabbatical Opportunities:
▪ Discuss the possibility of taking a sabbatical
to allow the employee time for personal
reflection and rejuvenation.

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Offer Time Management Workshops:
▪ Provide workshops on time management and
organizational skills to address issues related
to missed deadlines and productivity.
Encourage Skill-sharing Sessions:
▪ Facilitate sessions where team members can
share their skills and expertise, fostering a
collaborative learning environment.
Introduce Employee Resource Groups:
▪ Establish employee resource groups or
affinity groups to create a sense of
community and support within the
organization.

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