Workplace Surgery
Got a workplace problem? You're not the only one. Ask anonymously, get a straight answer, and see how others have handled the same thing.
Ask your questionDo I need to deal with someone who hits their numbers but is making the team miserable?
Yes — and the fact that they hit target is exactly why this has probably gone unaddressed for too long. "Performance" isn't only output; it's output achieved in a way that doesn't quietly cost you everyone else's. Get specific about the behaviour, not the personality — what they do, in what situations, and what it costs the team — and have that conversation as directly as you would a missed target. Protecting a high performer's behaviour because the numbers are good is a decision, even if it doesn't feel like one.
Senior Manager · 50-100 employees
I think my best hire is about to quit, but they haven't said anything. What do I do?
Trust the signal, not the silence. People rarely announce disengagement — they show it through smaller effort, less initiative, or simply doing exactly what's asked and nothing more. Don't open with "are you leaving," which invites a denial either way. Open with genuine curiosity about how the role is actually going for them right now, and be prepared to hear something you don't want to. If there's a real issue, you likely still have a small window to address it — but only if you ask before they've already decided.
Director · 100-150 employees
My managers ask me to approve everything. How do I stop being the bottleneck?
Start by naming the decisions you're happy for them to own, out loud and specifically — not "use your judgement," which isn't really authority. Then protect the first few decisions they make under that authority, even if you'd have made a slightly different call. If you overturn or relitigate an early decision, you've just taught them that asking first is still the safer option — and the pattern resets. The goal isn't a perfect decision every time. It's a manager who stops checking.
Founder / Owner · 30-50 employees