Speaking yesterday with a business owner about the effect of removing an individual from the team.

This individual was a solid performer in terms of the actual task to be performed but was not a great influence on the team. They didn’t represent the values of the company. They showed cynicism towards ideas and initiatives and frankly made things just feel harder than they should.

“Alan, it was like being on a run and having a stone in your shoe for a few miles. We had kinda put up with it for a while and then when you stop and get rid of the stone, there’s a spring in your step and you can go much faster”.

Nice way to put it. Our hope of course is that this person has found a business in which they can align with the values and that they go on to have a fruitful career but what’s evident is that the business they left is now in better shape.

Are you running with stones in your shoes? And what’s your plan to deal with them?