WHEN DID YOUR ORGANISATION CONDUCT THE LAST “WORKPLACE LEECH” CENSUS

One of the greatest causes of under-performance is the presence of presence of ?too many "leeches" or unproductive employees within your organization

Types of Organizational Leeches:-

(1)?? The Common Leeches:- They will attach to the bosses ( people who are in positions of authority) and draw their own survival in the organization through this association. Its easy to spot them… they will be seen hanging around the boss’s cabin, praising him/her, act as their unofficial ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’, ‘facilitating’ their non-official work, etc.

(2)?? The Opportunistic Leeches:-? They will attach to the bosses or super bosses ???only on purpose ?and utilize the association ?to get a desired salary hike or promotion or transfer. Once ?the purpose is met they will ‘unleech’ themselves and try to lead a normal worklife till they are consumed by a new desire.

(3)?? The Blackmailing ?Leeches:- They will play Sherlock Holmes to unearth critical information which has the potential to unsettle a person in position of power and then leverage his/her discomfiture to survive and thrive in the organization.

(4)?? The Double Crosser Leeches:- They will attach to performing employees, gain critical inputs from? them and then pass off the same as their own. They often have good communication skills and are narcissistic.

(5)?? The Networked Leeches:- They will leverage their contacts ?within or outside the organization ?to exert pressure on people in positions of power within the? organization in order to avoid work and yet get all the benefits – raises, promotions or favored locations.

(6)?? The Lazy or Incompetent Leeches:- These leeches just do not want to work or do not know? how to work, so they will just attach to one important person in the organization to ?ensure their own survival in the organization.

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What should organisations do in order to minimize the conception and nurturing of leeches. Here are some suggestions:-

(i)????????????????? 360 Degree performance feedback is a key method to identify leeches, who are generally known to please bosses. A consistent red flag from peers and subordinates can prove to be a reliable indicator.

(ii)??????????????? Authentic Leaders:- Organisations which are known to promote competent and authentic people in positions of authority are not likely to have one too many ?leeches in their ecosystem.

(iii)????????????? HR can put a ?system in place whereby leeches are called out by peers or subordinates . This may prove to be effective in minimizing their numbers within the organization.

It will be an interesting exercise if you classify the leeches you know within your organization from the ones mentioned in this article…??))