Misplaced Loyalty

When does employee loyalty cross the line and become management irresponsibility? We are fortunate in that the overwhelming majority of our clients have a deep desire to support and care for their frontline teams. They do this for many reasons; some altruistic, some not. Some care for their teams because they are genuinely concerned for their well being. Others, while not driven by a deep compassion for their employees, demonstrate care because it is in the best interest of the business. Regardless, these employers have a common understanding that taking care of their employees helps them take care of their customers. They recognize it is just good business.

We frequently run across organizations who under the banner of loyalty retain employees for extended periods of time that have no business working in a frontline capacity due to their poor attitude, inability to engage or influence customers, or both. It is in these situations that many well-intended leaders fall. What they fail to recognize is while employers have an obligation to provide all of the communication, tools, training, support, compensation, recognition and other resources necessary for the employee to achieve an expected level of performance, the employee has a reciprocal obligation to at least “attempt” to achieve that level of performance by using the resources the company has provided. Notice I did not say obligation to immediately achieve the expected level of performance, as someone could be improving month-to-month and still be below the target.

There are many reasons why someone may underperform. It could be a learning difficulty, an inability to acclimate quickly to new technology, an illness or a traumatic life event that is inhibiting their effort short-term. These things can be forgiven if the underperformer is earnest in attempting to improve. Not attempting, however, is inexcusable and usually a sign of a deeper problem. If an employee is unwilling to try and improve when their employer has invested in their skills development, what they are really saying is “The company goals and needs are not important to me. I am going to do my own thing.” This mindset can become not only damaging, but viral and contaminating, as the renegade performer’s interests may not be aligned with the company’s interests. An employer who allows this to happen repeatedly is not being loyal; they are using the banner of loyalty to mask a weak-kneed unwillingness to make tough decisions – one of the true hallmarks of great leadership.

Chris Brown - Senior Vice President, Frontline Performance Group