Not everyone in your organization will be an A-Player. You’re going to have B-Players, C-Players, and, unfortunately, even D-Players. Holding on to these D-Players for too long can have a severe negative impact on your organization.
There are different types of D-Players; one is more dangerous than the other. When most people think of a D-Player, they imagine an underperformer. Fortunately, this type of team member is usually a more straightforward fix. You can address their performance by reviewing their role, ensuring they receive proper training, and giving them a plan to correct their performance within 60 days. With the right tools, you can often help them improve to at least a C-Player or even a B-Player.
More challenging, however, is the D-Player, who’s a high performer but a poor cultural fit. To me, this is the true definition of a D-Player, and it’s much harder to manage. This could be a tech with excellent skills or a salesperson who consistently hits targets but creates issues with team members. No one wants to work with them, and they repeatedly violate your core values.
Many leaders hold on to these individuals for far too long. I’ve been guilty of this myself because high performers are difficult to replace. I call these people “culture killers.” Your entire team sees that you’re allowing their behavior to continue unchecked.
This is a challenging situation, but I’ve seen it in my own business and the experiences of many people I’ve coached over the years. You cannot allow these D-Players to remain on your team. While you can often help a poor performer improve, fixing a bad cultural fit is almost impossible. You might have a conversation with them, and things may improve briefly, but the issues will inevitably resurface.
If you have a D-Player on your team, consider letting them go sooner rather than later. If you’re worried about the additional burden this might place on your team, don’t be. They will step up! With the D-Player gone, the mood will change for the better, and you’ll see your team members transform and pick up the slack until you find someone who’s a better fit.
When you do make this decision, it’s important to apologize to your team for allowing someone who didn’t embody your core values to remain. By doing so, you send a clear message that you value your team and the culture you are all working to build.
Letting people go is never fun or easy. But keeping D-Players longer than you should negatively affects everything in your organization and will eventually impact your customers.
This is a hard lesson to learn but an essential one.