Quora Answer: What Should I Do if an Employee is as Productive as He is Troublesome?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “What should I do if an employee is as productive as he is troublesome?”

There is a contradiction here.  If he is troublesome, how is he productive?  He may, as an individual, be productive in terms of meeting production targets and fulfilling KPIs, but if he is toxic, he is affecting the productivity of those around him.  In such a case, he is not, in reality, productive, because overall productivity of the unit he is in is affected.

You have to define in what manner he is troublesome?  Is he simply aloof, or keeps to himself?  Does he segregate himself from the team?  This requires delicate man management.  Does he have deeper issues that need to be resolved?  This may require professional help.  Is he outright toxic, and a bully?  If that be the case, termination is best for the sake of team morale.  In the case of toxic behaviour, if it is not nipped in the bud, it evolves, and becomes workplace culture.  Once it is culture, it is extremely difficult to eradicate.