Firing or Reforming the Loose Cannon

Firing or Reforming the Loose Cannon

S. Chris Edmonds is a sought-after speaker, author, and executive consultant. He’s the founder and CEO of The Purposeful Culture Group, which he launched in 1990. Chris helps senior leaders build and sustain purposeful, positive, productive work cultures. He is the author or co-author of seven books, including Amazon bestsellers Good Comes First (2021) with Mark Babbitt, The Culture Engine (2014), and Leading at a Higher Level (2008) with Ken Blanchard.

Are you sacrificing alignment to desired values and behaviors for results at any cost?

For example, perhaps you have a loose cannon in your company. Maybe you have a player who performs well but often treats others with disdain and disrespect.

A leader might say, “We have this guy who does 90% good things and only 10% bad things! We can’t throw out the good with the bad!”

The reality is that the negative impact on the business is far more significant than 10%. A great performer can have 50% credit for his contributions to results, but if he’s a bully, he gets 0% credit on the other half of his job – treating others respectfully.

Here’s a typical loose cannon scenario.

Let’s call the perpetrator “Bob.” (In my 30 years of helping leaders with these challenges, I find that loose cannons are almost always male.)

What is Bob doing that qualifies him as a loose cannon? Bob:

Generates results. Bob meets most of the performance standards expected of him. That’s a good thing.
Has positive relationships with customers. They feel they can depend upon him to deliver what they’ve asked for. That’s also good.
Has favorites on his team. The people he trusts, he treats respectfully. That’s OK.
Doesn’t participate in company meetings or celebrations or trainings. Bob is (conveniently) not available to attend these sessions. That’s not good.
Believes that many people in the company don’t pull their weight. He consistently demeans, dismisses, and discounts their ideas, efforts, and contributions. That’s really not good.
Thinks the company’s efforts to build a values-aligned culture are horse manure. Bob mocks – to other company staff – the company’s messaging and coaching for everyone to treat others respectfully.

Are you sacrificing alignment to desired values and behaviors for results at any cost?

CHRIS EDMONDS

Everyone sees how Bob treats others. Employees provide a steady stream of concerns and complaints to Bob’s leader regarding Bob’s toxic behavior.

If you were Bob’s boss, what would you do?

It’s tempting to try to save the performance by letting Bob continue generating great results.

And nearly every boss I’ve coached in this situation underestimates the negative impact of Bob’s toxic behavior on both results and respect in the workplace. This dynamic is difficult in any organization; if not proactively addressed, this player’s impact has shifted from difficult to disastrous.

Firing Bob is something that is always on the table. Before we go to that last resort, we must offer Bob an avenue to genuine contribution AND respectful treatment. Coaching may not help Bob, but clear communication that the company will no longer tolerate Bob’s disrespectful treatment of colleagues and clear consequences.

The path to helping Bob align or move on:

Consequences of Bob’s continued disrespectful treatment might include suspension without pay. Further bullying leads to the firm decision that Bob can’t work there anymore, and the dismissal process begins.
Consequences of Bob’s improved, respectful treatment might lead to further coaching, validation that he’s on the right track, and a clear message that improvement is the only pathway to maintaining his role in the company.

That can change a loose cannon into a talented, committed team player who equally contributes results and respect.

Want new articles before they get published? Subscribe to our Awesome Newsletter.