Toxic personality traits in business
If you/your employees exhibit toxic personality traits like micro-management, procrastination, or knowledge hoarding, your business suffers. The workplace has different personalities working together and as a business owner, toxic personality traits that turn away customers, investors, employees, and other owners, are avoidable.
Rather than judge personalities, we share what works in businesses, among co-workers and business leaders. If you /your employees have these personality traits, it may cost your business, time and money besides increasing employee turnover and risk investing opportunities. There are many toxic traits that creep in to impact various businesses.
The yes-man/woman
A strong business needs creativity, leaders and innovation, thriving on multiple viewpoints, not like-minded robots. The “yes-man or yes-woman” is a terribly toxic personality trait for business. Encourage employees to speak up, and have friendly debates on why something cannot work. This ensures that co-workers approach with their ideas and may disagree with mine. Healthy teamwork builds off on ideas and avoids stagnation.
The procrastinator
The kind that procrastinates tends to delay right until the nth minute to actually accomplish something. 95% of us procrastinate occasionally but is also costly, wasting 2.09 hours per day on the job. Employees with procrastination tendencies, cost wasted hours, messy processes, extra expenses, and disgruntled customers. Focus on one task at a time, get sleep, and motivate yourself by exercising during lunch.
The always right
The worker who’s always right. If someone thinks they’re always right, your business cannot grow and that’s why “the always right” personality is dangerous for business. An arrogant personality can: Hurt employee morale, squash development and growth, change company culture and turn away customers, by blocking communication and collaboration. Someone who is always right can destroy your business plans. To combat such personalities, encourage your business leaders to listen to team-members and try out new systems. Encourage this and lead by example.
The micromanager
A micromanager cannot encourage employees or gives more authority over projects. The dictatorial attitude sounds like a micromanager and is not conducive to autonomy, employee growth, and morale. The micromanager stands watch over everything someone does, gives no direction and wants to change everything, after it’s done which is frustrating to work with. They stifle creativity and business growth.
What you need from your Team
Knowledge hoarding is detrimental to business and its success, as knowledge-hoarding employees will not be around forever. Encourage all employees to share knowledge among themselves. Team members must work together and grow leaders. To encourage knowledge-sharing, give employees accessible knowledge base and involve all in training newcomers. Business success has no simple recipe. Weeding out toxic traits may not get your team poised for growth and success. But among personality traits, a key trait that contributing to success of your business is Humility.
Humility
We discuss among co-workers about the importance to have an innate Humility which shows how attentive we are to everyone around us: both customers and fellow workers. This selfless attitude creates a work culture where employees thrive and customers’ needs are uppermost. Humility in each business aspect encourages all co-workers to emulate. Humble employees give their time, care for all around them, and shun arrogance to the curb. Employers look for humility among co-workers and customers need that from a trusted business brand.