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If you responded yes to more than one question then welcome to the club. Conflict avoidance is a common problem among executives and managers. When the economy heats up, the problem seems to worsen in the workplace. Talent becomes scare and we become more complacent. After all, isn’t it better to have someone in this job than no one? Read on to see how the wrong answer can result in more damage than you think.

The pink elephant in the room

If you don’t say it out loud, perhaps no one will notice that you’ve got someone on the team who isn’t pulling his or her weight. You can hold back on projects, reassign some of their duties to others and even do some of the work yourself. Managers will do just about anything not to upset the apple cart. Surely no one will notice you’ve got a non-performer on your hands.

Here’s the problem. It’s not a secret and your employees are all talking about it. Everyone is waiting for you to make your move. The longer it takes for this to happen, the more time they have to question your leadership. Before long, people are no longer staying late and they certainly aren’t volunteering to pick up the slack. Your staff no longer respects you.

Take action when an employee has a performance problem. It may simply be a matter of providing more training. If you feel you’ve made a hiring mistake, part ways before you invest more resources into a situation that you know will never work.

Customers stop complaining

Isn’t it great when customers stop complaining? Yes, if it’s for the right reason. But often times it’s because they simply don’t care anymore. They’ve given you feedback and you haven’t made any changes. They still have the same account rep, who can’t seem to bother returning their calls. You know how difficult it is to find good sales people so you decide that the one you have is better than anyone you can get. Too bad your client doesn’t feel that way. They are shopping for a new vendor while you are off replacing the last major customer that got away. Oh, and by the way, they are letting everyone know how dissatisfied they are with your firm.

Stop the vicious cycle. Everyone knows that it takes more energy to find new clients than it does to retain the clients you have. If someone stops calling, don’t assume that everything is all right. Pick up the phone and follow up with them to make sure things are fine. Delight your client or they will find someone else who will value their business.

If you are keeping employees who are not customer focused then you are damaging your firm’s reputation. Do you still think it’s better to have someone than no one at all?

What’s a little more work?

If all your time is spent doing the work of your subordinates than how can you possibly have time to work on the strategic pieces that will move your company forward? Before you decide that you will do something yourself, ask yourself why you are making this decision. If it’s because you don’t believe anyone else can do the task, then step back and assess each member of your group. Provide them with resources so they can come up to speed and then hold them accountable. If it’s because you have a difficult time giving up control, then set up an appointment with a professional who can help you work through this issue.

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