As leaders, how are we managing our least favoured employees?

Leadership provides a pivotal role in organisation set ups. It is that ability to portray a great vision and our acknowledgement of followers that helps in maximising performance. Our followers are inspired by us and would aim at achieving beyond their expectations through the guidance we provide as well as provision of an environment of trust. Organisations with effective leaders stand a chance of realising increased profitability and performance.

What then is the impact to the whole organisation when a leader is heard saying, ‘I cannot stand so and so.’ or worse still, ‘I cannot stand him for no apparent reason!’ As leaders how are we relating to these unfiltered thoughts? In most cases leaders are known to frustrate the employee in an effort to get rid of them and with the current provisions of the Labour Act number 5/ 2015, the hatched idea will definitely materialise by giving the particular employee a three months’ notice thereby closing the door in their face.

It is a leadership role and responsibility to mentor and manage every person in their team whether we like them personally or not. As leaders we need to bear in mind that we are expected and have to be seen to exercise emotional intelligence. It will therefore be grievous and inhuman to start making notes every time the employee does something that makes you cringe. It is not at all professional to treat an employee in this manner, rather try and understand what is it about them that drives you crazy. Remember your least favoured employees see how you interact with the rest of the team. Would it be wrong then for the employee to view you as subjective? Employees who suffer these challenges have no nice words about their bosses because they clearly know that you do not like them. Other employees would proffer solutions like, “Why can‘t you take your boss for lunch so that you try and understand each other?”.

As the least favoured employee trying to address an issue with the boss is usually hard. In the process, you would see them grin or quickly dismiss you which could be their tactic to keep your mind off how annoyed they were at the conversation. Such leaders may also ask issues beyond your job scope to humiliate you.

But for leaders who want to build strong teams, there are ways to manage someone you do not like as opposed to openly micromanaging them, sideling and bullying them. It is worth to note that employees in organisations complain about incompetent bosses, or dysfunctional co-workers as well as irritating and hateful direct reports. It will be easier for leaders to note that their jobs will be simpler if they liked everyone on their team. However, this is not necessarily the best as such team members fall victim to the comfortable clone syndrome. Leaders successful at fostering innovation endeavour grating different approaches through a productive process of creative abrasion. People liking each other is not necessarily a component of organisational success! But it is no basis to dislike employees for no apparent reason! Relatedly, as leaders we need to note that it is not possible to build a team comprised entirely of people we would invite to a backyard braai. Gurus in business management say from a performance stand point, liking employees you manage too much is a bigger problem than disliking them. It is often those we do not like that prompt new insights and help propel the group to succeed. Instead of spending time thinking how irritating the person is, as a leader focus on why you are reacting the way you are. Ask yourself this question; is the individual a real problem or maybe they just remind you of someone you do not like? Try to be honest with yourselves as leaders. It is far easier to change your perspective than to ask someone to be a different person. Rather seek out the positive in a person since there is no one who is 100% annoying. Given their talents, and their limits, consider what is it that they can do that would be best for the team. You need to be vigilant about keeping your bias out of the evaluation and compensation processes. If not managed well such biased outcomes can result is serious litigation process which are usually costly to the organisation. Ask yourself if you are sticking by the standard you use for other people. If not, you need to seek counsel from another employee who is familiar with the work the disliked employee does. Let them play the devil’s advocate.

It is good as leaders that we appreciate that we don’t view leadership as a solo adventure. Leadership is very muck akin to a team sport. Instead of using your dislike as a catalyst to procedurally fire them, consider staffing them to serve as your right hand person and where possible consider changing yourselves rather than wanting to change the whole world.

Emmanuel Jinda is the Managing Consultant of PROSERVE Consulting Group, a leading supplier of Professional Human Resources and Management services locally, regionally and internationally. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 263 773004143 or 263 4 772778 or visit our website at www.proservehr.com