Redirecting a New Hire's Misguided Ambition
Your new and promising employee, Peter, is freshly onboarded and brimming with enthusiasm. You are excited to mold and mentor him in his first post-college job …until your enthusiasm quickly wears thin. A few months in, you start to see signs that Pete’s enthusiasm and initiative have subtly emerged into something more self-serving and less team player-esque. The most recent offense…Protégé Pete has gone over your head to schedule a meeting regarding customer service improvements. Your company culture encourages dialogues well beyond org chart constructs, but the oddity here is that this is not Pete’s meeting to schedule. Customer Service is your turf and you aren’t even on the invite list. Pete’s ability to be opportunistic has become a frequently demonstrated skill and that ain’t cool with you. You want employees to go above and beyond, but over and around… no, no thank you. This rookie has encouraged others to question your directives, submitted work to other departments without your first (and necessary) review, and communicated new deadlines without your knowledge. You are a fan of the open org chart culture and encourage your employees to share best practices, collaborate with other teams, and initiate better ways. This isn’t that. Experience tells you this is a flat out undermining, power hoarding, and ego building attempt. The Olympic size red flag? Your once-cohesive team is now showing signs of tension and divided loyalties. Time to nip it in the bud before this toe-stepping overtakes your authority and leaves the team in disrepair.
For weeks, you've tried to justify Peter’s questionable behavior. Maybe he’s just eager to prove himself (you hope) or flex his leadership muscles. You try to convince yourself that it's not as bad as it seems. Confronting the issue feels tricky, and you're unsure how to approach it without seeming overly critical or causing defensiveness. The whispers and sidelong glances are growing, and ignoring the situation is no longer an option. Your leadership is being challenged, and with it, the stability and productivity of your entire team. By saying nothing, you're hoping the problem will magically resolve itself. Spoiler alert: it won't. Over time, you and your team will feel increasingly marginalized, stepped on, and resentful. You pride yourself on leading with autonomy, but this behavior requires some serious intervention.
You can no longer stand idly by, as this this new employee runs roughshod over your leadership and team. However, your knee-jerk reaction is to accuse and get defensive:
"Listen up, Hotshot. I don't know what fancy ideas you picked up in business school, but your ‘know-it-all’ attitude is creating problems for the entire team.”
“I'm the boss here, and you need to fall in line or hit the road."
"If you think you can do my job better, why don't you apply for it?"
Are these the responses of a leader who prides themselves on modeling professional behavior and stellar leadership? You might achieve a spicy moment of glory, but these responses are about as helpful as pouring gasoline on a fire. You'll only succeed in alienating your newbie, damaging team morale, and possibly finding HR on your doorstep. This zinger-slinging approach is more likely to escalate the situation than put things to right.
No need to tiptoe here. These antics demand a straight shot of professional guidance. Your mission? Immediate course correction. Keep his spark alive, but make crystal clear your role, the team's rhythm, and the golden rule of transparency. Consider these steps:
Schedule a private meeting. Confront the specific issues head-on: "I’ve noticed a pattern of concerning actions and behaviors these past several weeks. [Provide a few key examples.]
Explain the impact: “Skirting around me and stirring up doubt about my directives only serves to undermine my role. Additionally, overriding established processes and deadlines causes confusion for everyone and upends our team cohesion and decision-making processes. You have also earned yourself a reputation as an opportunist.”
Encourage dialogue: "What’s your reaction so far?", “Give me your perspective.”
Set clear expectations: "The only way you will be successful here is if we move in lock-step as a team, fully trusting and transparent. That means sharing information, collaborating, supporting each other, and prioritizing the team’s goals over individual recognition. There is no room here for self-promotion.”
Ask pivotal questions: “Are you willing to do this?”, “Do you have what it takes to succeed in this teamwork-centered culture?”
Next Steps: If the answer to the above is ‘yes’, then respond with “Great. Let’s meet weekly as we get back on solid footing. I’d also like you to write a plan for how you are going to meet the expectations I shared. We can review it together.”
The final word
Peter’s ambitious energy is an asset, but it needs proper channeling. Often, a heart-to-heart and realignment of expectations are all that's needed to get an overzealous team member back on track. If he continues to sidestep protocols and undermine team dynamics, more serious consequences may be necessary. Remember, great teams aren't built on individual star power, but on collective strength and shared success. A heavy dose of guidance and a willing spirit can evolve this disruptive force into team excellence.
“In broad terms, undermining behavior essentially involves an employee either saying things or acting in a way that makes others question the professionalism, knowledge, abilities or work ethic of a manager, supervisor, team leader or any other person in a position of authority within the workplace.”
Anne Morris, managing director, DavidsonMorris Ltd
“When an employee undermines your authority, you often end up thinking about the employee’s negative behavior and complaining about it to others. Some managers spend months fretting about difficult employees without ever giving them actual behavioral feedback in a straightforward manner.”
Paul Keijzer, CEO, The Talent Games
“In every interaction, we unconsciously decide how much power to grant others. In most organizations, the person at the top has the final say. Hierarchies create levels of accountability, but unhealthy power plays are detrimental to everyone’s performance. That’s why it’s important for you to understand the culture of authority on your team, and how the stories you tell yourself may play into those dynamics.”
Chuck Wisner, leadership coach; author, The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen and Interact
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