How to Handle a Toxic Team Member: Taking Action Before It’s Too Late

In many companies today, especially in matrix organizations, team leaders often don’t have the power to pick their own team members. Instead, people are assigned from other departments, which can make things tricky. General Motors (GMC) was one of the first companies to use this model, but today we can see that it has problems. This system, meant to help teams work together, often slows down decisions and creates confusion about who is responsible for what (Global Integration)(McKinsey & Company). But what do you do when you have a toxic team member in this situation?

Step 1: Start with Empathy and Coaching

It’s important to first try to understand the team member. Simon Sinek teaches that toxic team members are often high performers but lack trust with their teammates. Trust is key in any team, and if someone is breaking that, the entire group suffers. Start by talking to the person, offering support, and maybe giving them coaching or training (Advisor Perspectives)(The National CIO Review).

However, Sinek warns that if the person doesn’t change, you need to act. There’s a limit to how much support you can give before a toxic team member starts harming the whole team(Advisor Perspectives)(YouTube).

Step 2: Don’t Let the Problem Spread

A toxic team member doesn’t just harm the team; they can affect the whole organization. Research from Gartner shows that a toxic person can reduce a team’s effectiveness by 40%(Simon Sinek). In GMC’s matrix structure, the confusion about who’s responsible can make it even harder to deal with such issues (Global Integration). The longer it takes to make decisions, the more damage a toxic person can do.

A high-performing employee with low trust is a “toxic” team member

Step 3: When to Take Action

If empathy and coaching don’t work, leaders need to act fast. This situation is like having a bad tooth, if you don’t remove it, the infection can spread and cause more harm (Advisor Perspectives). It may feel difficult, but letting a toxic person stay on the team can hurt morale, increase turnover, and lower productivity.

Leaders are paid to make tough decisions, and sometimes that means removing someone from the team for the greater good.

Step 4: Fix the Matrix Problems

Matrix structures like GMC’s were meant to improve flexibility, but they often make decision-making slower (Global Integration)(McKinsey & Company). This can make it hard to deal with toxic employees quickly. Successful companies focus on solving problems right away, rather than getting stuck in a complex structure. Removing a toxic team member not only helps the team but the whole organization (McKinsey & Company).

Conclusion: Tough Decisions for a Healthy Team

Empathy is important, but when it doesn’t work, action is needed. Toxic team members can drag down the whole team, and in a matrix structure, that can create even more problems. As Simon Sinek teaches, trust is the foundation of any successful team. Without it, even high performers can bring down the group (The National CIO Review).

So, next time you face a toxic team member, remember: it’s better to take action early than to let things get worse.

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