One of my previous clients bought a family-owned business from his Father ten years ago. My client (I will call him Tim) grew up in the warehouse, stopping by after school to sweep the floor and help out. He and several of his high school friends got hired right out of school. Through the years Dad gave them all nice salary increases to reward their loyalty.

Tim never went to college, never worked anywhere else. And neither did his friends. Fast forward to present and the business has increased eight-fold, there are over a dozen new employees and the old "friends" from high school refuse to accept Tim's authority and leadership. Along the way he married, and now his wife is his business partner and she has difficulty watching the interactions transpire between them. She called me for help when they had reached an impasse and he dreaded going in to work each morning.

The company's business model has adapted to include technology, but every person on the team does every task in the business at some time during the day or week. The boss and his wife are working the hardest and longest hours and when salaried employees are asked to do the same, they claim their families take priority.

What is wrong with this picture? I am helping my client navigate the rough waters of self-reflection and organizational development. We are getting a baseline with personality assessments. We are conducting a review of tasks and job descriptions and will end up realigning the process flow in the warehouse to better use the strengths of the team members.

And back to square one I am recommending implementation of employee policies with consequences and rewards. I am encouraging them to have a team-building session and consider the upward mobility of some of the team members with potential. Hard work and loyalty should be rewarded. But insubordination and refusal to be a team player should not go unchecked. I call this "sanctioned incompetence." If the team knows that someone toxic is allowed to remain, the overall morale and productivity of the group will be affected.

Your Father left you a legacy and a wonderful opportunity. Now it is time to assess where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow and make sure the right people are on your team to help you get there!

Originally posted on LinkedIn - May 5, 2016