Dear Joan:

An employee who has been with the company for many years has always been the go-to person for upper management, as they have worked together for a very long time.
As new employees have been hired the dynamics in the office have changed. New employees bring fresh ideas and new energy into the workplace. The long standing employee seems to feel threatened and appears to need a "target" to create conflict.

My questions is, how do you avoid becoming his target? One particular employee seems to be in a position to defend himself over and over for things that are petty. The conflicts are intense, often resulting in screaming matches.

The longstanding employee takes some type of medication for mood disorders but he is still very unpredictable. On a good day his reactions are fine but on other days it's not a pleasant place to be. Question: How long does the "target" excuse his bad behavior due to the mood disorder this person has?

It's obvious that the "target" is getting beat down and may be considering a career change. The "target" is a valued employee and very well thought of by other staff and management. Management does not seem to know how to handle the complicated and sensitive situation, partly due to the close relationship they have with the long-standing employee that is making the workplace "toxic".



Answer:

While Situations like this seem black and white, I often find that human foibles make them gray. The idealistic among us can say, “No one should tolerate being poorly treated. Management should tell that loyal employee to stop treating that good employee so poorly.” But those of us who have been around for awhile know that long-standing relationships can breed a loyalty that anesthetizes logical decision making. For some executives, loyalty and friendship weigh more, so they turn a blind eye to poor behavior.

The resolution of the situation depends upon the maturity and wisdom of the senior managers. For example, if things escalate (and they surely will), there’s a good chance senior management will have to choose between the two of them. Up to this point, they have probably been reluctant to deal with the problem because the go-to guy has added value for a long time and also because they make allowances for him because he has a medical problem.

One of senior managements’ responsibilities is to keep the workplace from being toxic. Hopefully, they will realize the harm his emotional outbursts are causing and counsel him to manage his behavior toward others. If the target is contributing to the problem (“screaming matches”),he also needs to be counseled.

If the long-term employee is unable to treat others professionally, management can mandate that he seek outside help through the EAP, or other medical resources, or face other consequences.

If they are tiptoeing around him because of his medical condition, they need to take a step back and consider the bigger picture. No one should be able to abuse fellow workers and get a free pass to do so, regardless of the reason. They need to consider what is in the best interest of the entire work team and the business as a whole. Loyalty should not trump dysfunctional behavior.



Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant, facilitator and professional trainer/speaker.  Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.  Joan Lloyd & Associates, (800) 348-1944, Visit www.JoanLloyd.com © Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.