The surest way to protect yourself from energy vampires is to not contact them. But often we are forced to communicate with toxic people. In particular, at work. How to behave to the boss if a toxic person works in his subordination? What if an energy vampire pulls an entire team down? There are six basic rules to help a manager solve a problem.
Why can not leave the problem of toxic employees without attention?
You can not leave the problem of energy vampires unattended, since one toxic employee can disrupt the work of the entire company. So, scientists at Harvard University conducted a study, according to the results of which it was found that each such employee inflicts damage to the company on average equal to 12 thousand dollars. This is a lost profit associated with low diligence and an unhealthy moral atmosphere in the team.
Statistics also show that due to energy vampires in the team, the number of dismissals of valuable employees increases by 54%. They just can not stand the communication with toxic people.
Thus, this problem cannot be ignored. The energy vampire does not necessarily have evil intentions, but it harms the team and the company as a whole. Thus, if the manager noticed such a person in his organization, immediate action must be taken.
Start by gathering information.
When you get the feeling that one of the employees is an energy vampire, you should always start by collecting information. Observe his behavior, relationships with colleagues, work results, and so on. From the information collected, draw certain conclusions.
Sometimes energy vampires sincerely do not understand that they are doing something wrong. Often a toxic employee is because of some psychological problems. Perhaps in this situation it is worth solving the issue not by dismissal, but by help and support.
In any case, you cannot communicate with a toxic employee without prior preparation, as he can quite aggressively meet your attempts to summon him to a dialogue. You must have clear arguments before making any claims to them.
Create borders
Based on the information gathered, you should talk in private with an employee whom you suspected of energy vampirism. Talk with him about his undesirable behavior, about what negative impact he has on other employees. Tell him about the consequences that may occur if such behavior continues.
Human Resources Consultant Jeff Butler says that toxic employees need to be talked about in an ultimatum. For example, if he does not change his behavior within 30 days, the question will be raised about his dismissal.
Develop a plan
Skilled staff cannot be scattered, even if they are energy vampires. So, if a person is valuable to your organization, you need a special approach to it. Do not focus on the troubles that have been associated with him until today. Better develop and propose a plan to combat toxic behavior. In fact, highly productive and professional people like to receive tips that promote self-improvement.
Watch him
After you talked with a toxic employee and set boundaries in front of him, you should closely monitor how a person behaves, whether he has taken the path of correction.
During the time that you have given a person for correction, you must constantly monitor his behavior. Firstly, you can compare what is happening with your ideas about how it should be. Secondly, you can maintain constant contact with a person, talk and give new instructions.
In any case, this process should not be left to chance. Especially if you are interested in this employee.
Immunize the team
To continue working with a toxic employee, you need to make sure that he does not harm the work of the team as a whole. You should analyze how much time he has been in contact with other employees (both formally and informally). You should also identify people who are more susceptible to the negative influence of this person.
If the team reveals those who are strongly influenced by the energy vampire, you should try to limit these contacts as much as possible. In principle, a toxic employee should try to isolate as much as possible from the team. For example, try to find an opportunity to transfer him to a position that does not imply frequent contact with colleagues.
Break ties with toxic employee if all else fails
It would be foolish to devote all his time to correcting a toxic employee if he himself does not want to take this path. According to a study conducted by scientists at Harvard University, about 4% of so-called energy vampires resort to unwanted behavior simply because they are entertained because they think it will get away with them. If you are dealing with just such an employee, then most likely your efforts will not be crowned with success.
In this case, after the 30-day time limit set for correction, you must draw certain conclusions. If they are not comforting, part with such an employee without regret. But if he, as a specialist, is very valuable for your organization, you will have to keep him under constant control within certain limits.
Next steps
If after a 30-day period you notice positive changes both in the behavior of the toxic employee and in the atmosphere in the work team, this does not mean that you can relax. Energy vampirism is not something that "cures" so quickly. It is possible that after the end of the so-called probationary period, a person will gradually begin to return to the usual model of behavior. So, you, as a manager, will have to constantly keep abreast and control the atmosphere in the team.
