How To Deal With High Performing Employees Who Are ‘Indisciplined’

By Tabitha Makumi,
Let’s imagine such a scenario for a second. If there was to be an award for ‘High performing employee of the year’, you would win it hands down.  As a matter of fact one can easily be forgiven for terming you as indispensable. You are that employee who the boss can count on as far as delivery is concerned. To cut the long story short, you are good at your craft.

But unfortunately you have flaws of your own…..Can the company afford to look the other way or can you be handed the same disciplinary actions just like any other employee?

A similar question was posed by George Wasike, a Strategy and HR Professional where he asked, “There is this staff member who is a top performer but poor on reporting time. The policy is strict on reporting time but off course not closing time. This is causing disharmony and other staff seem to be following trend. I have tried discussing the issue with the employee & management but with little success…… What to do?”

Speaking to Martin Githaiga, a HR Practitioner with Corporate Staffing Services, he explains that such instances are rare. “Most times you will find undisciplined employees are not the top performers but when the opposite does happen, it’s usually a dilemma,” says Mr. Githaiga.

He asserts that in such cases, companies have to look at the instances of indiscipline and those of top performance. “You have to look at what is more. Has the employee shown top performing results two times during the year and on the hand continued to display undisciplined instances throughout the year?” he says that this are some of the question a company has to ask itself before taking the next step.

And what’s the next step? Mr. Githaiga says, “If (s) he is a top performer as it’s claimed to be and the company can’t do without him, then they have to keenly look at the causes of the indiscipline.” Can they be worked on or are they a lost cause? For example he shares that, “If this is the kind of person who is rude to everyone in the office and doesn’t exhibit any signs of remorse for his actions, then you might want to offer communication training to him or her and see if there is going to be a change.”

He also adds that, “Such an employee will have to be handed stiff penalties on their performance appraisal where it’s made clear that if they do not change, actions such as summary dismissal can be taken against them.”

No special treatment then for such employees? I ask. “There shouldn’t be any special treatment since in the end they will end up affecting the company and other employees in one way or the other.” He adds that, “As a company you have to ask yourself, even if they are top performers are they really worth the risk?”

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