The problem: one “bad apple” can spoil the team
You’ve heard it before: one bad apple spoils the bunch. In teams, it’s more than a cliché. One consistently negative employee can drain performance and morale. Even when everyone else is capable and motivated, that single voice can change how the team feels, talks, and contributes.
Leaders often keep the negative high-performer because the work gets done and the metrics look fine. But that choice has a quiet cost: your best people leave first. The teammates who bring energy, build trust, and enjoy working with others start looking for a healthier culture. When they go, the rest of the team notices that the problem wasn’t addressed—and the spiral continues.
Why leaders hesitate
Most managers hesitate for understandable reasons:
- Fear of losing a headcount or a key skill
- Worry that direct feedback will make things worse
- Avoidance of conflict and the process work of action plans
- Concern about reassigning workload if someone exits
But waiting rarely helps. Culture is the sum of what you allow. If negativity goes unchecked, your team reads your silence as approval.
Not all “negativity” is the same: realism vs pessimism
We often lump together pessimism, negativity, and toxicity, but they are rooted in different problems.
- Realism sounds like questions about resources, risk, timing, or constraints. Realists point out challenges so the team can plan around them.
- Pessimism sounds like “this never works,” “why try,” and “it’s always me.” Pessimists surface challenges to prove success is unlikely.
Leaders who don’t know the difference treat both the same—and that erodes trust. Your job is not to eliminate all negative emotion. Your job is to understand what it is, coach people through it, and protect the team dynamic.
A quick lens using DISC
If a team member has a high C profile in DISC, they may be realistic, detail-driven, and slower to change. That can frustrate fast-moving teammates. Without a shared language like DISC or Working Genius, realism gets mislabeled as negativity.
Coaching for Managers tip: Ask, “Is this input trying to protect the team or deflate the team?” Follow with, “What outcome are you hoping for?” Intent clarifies behavior.
How to respond before it becomes toxic
Use this sequence to diagnose and address the issue:
- Create shared language
Use DISC, Working Genius, or another assessment so people understand default styles and motivations. When teammates see the “why” behind behaviors, judgment drops and empathy rises. - Talk as a team before you talk about a person
Host a group conversation or workshop to normalize the difference between realism and pessimism. When teams put names to patterns, they can discuss behavior without blame. - Document impact, not adjectives
Don’t write “they’re negative.” Write the effect: “Comments shut down brainstorming,” “Interruptions stop peers from contributing,” “Mood changes cause others to avoid collaboration.” Impact is actionable and fair. - Decide if they’re coachable or contagious
- Coachable: Accepts feedback, tries new language, is willing to adjust.
- Contagious: Rejects solutions, mocks feedback, spreads cynicism, drains energy.
If they’re coachable, invest. If they’re contagious, protect the culture.
Signs you’ve crossed into toxicity
You may be past “fixable negativity” if you see:
- Persistent rejection of solutions, preference for staying in the problem
- Noticeable drop in team morale, energy, and participation
- Silence in meetings, fear of speaking up, or ideas killed before discussed
- Teammates avoiding one person regularly
- You spend more time managing one person’s mood than managing the work
When you see these patterns, address them immediately. Don’t wait.
A leader’s checklist before letting someone go
If termination is on the table, ask yourself three reflection questions:
- Have I given clear feedback and support?
Be honest. If you’ve never given direct, specific feedback, start there. - Have I defined the impact of their behavior?
Write it. Say it. Connect it to team outcomes, trust, and results. - Why am I keeping them: potential, guilt, or comfort?
- Potential means you still see a path forward.
- Guilt or comfort means you may have waited too long.
Leadership Podcast for New Managers insight: Clarity plus compassion is not cruelty. It’s stewardship of culture.
What optimists, realists, and pessimists say after a setback
Use these statements to spot the lens people use:
- Optimist: “We can learn from this. What will we try next?”
- Realist: “Here’s what went wrong. Here’s what we control next time.”
- Pessimist: “This always happens. Why try?”
Coach language first. If language doesn’t shift, coach mindset. If mindset doesn’t shift, protect the team.
If you’re not the boss yet
You still have influence. Try:
- Protect your energy. Avoid gossip and vent-sessions that don’t move toward solutions.
- Set boundaries with a prompt like, “I can see you’re frustrated. What can we do about it?”
- Model the culture you want: be on time, prepare for meetings, give credit, and close the loop.
If you choose to leave, complete a thoughtful exit interview so your leader has data to fix what remains.
Practical scripts and questions you can use today
In a one-on-one:
- “When you raise risks, is your intent to protect the team or to signal the plan won’t work? Help me understand.”
- “Here’s the impact your comments are having on brainstorming. How could we raise the same concerns in a way that keeps the conversation moving?”
In a team meeting:
- “Let’s separate realism from pessimism. What are the real constraints we must plan around?”
- “What’s one thing we could do to have even more trust on this team?”
In documentation:
- “Meeting interruptions reduced idea sharing by half; two teammates stopped presenting updates.”
- “Comments about inevitable failure caused the group to end ideation 20 minutes early.”
These prompts keep you focused on Team Dynamics, accountability, and forward momentum.
When coaching isn’t enough
Sometimes the most compassionate decision is an exit. Removing a truly toxic person can immediately improve performance and morale. You’re not being harsh; you’re leading with clarity about where the team is going and protecting the standard.
How to handle conflict at work as a manager:
- Be timely and specific.
- Document impact and expectations.
- Offer support and a clear plan.
- Follow through consistently.
What to do this week
- Audit the energy. Who’s influencing the tone—positively or negatively?
- Choose one tool. Book DISC or Working Genius to build shared language.
- Ask one question. “What is one thing we could do to have even more trust on this team?”
- Decide your next step. Coachable or contagious? Act accordingly.
This is How to Be a Better Manager in practice: clear expectations, helpful coaching, and consistent follow-through.
Related resources to build trust and reduce conflict
- Assessments and workshops: DISC, Working Genius
- Team frameworks: Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Ideal Team Player
- Conversation tools: Thematic goal exercise, trust-building questions, meeting norms
- Self-awareness hub: intentionalaction.net/self-awareness
If you need a facilitated reset, my Cohesive Team Program helps teams rebuild trust, engage in productive conflict, commit to decisions, and hold one another accountable without blame.
Key takeaways
Culture is the sum of what you allow. Address issues early and consistently.
One negative team member can quietly push your best people out.
Learn to separate realism from pessimism; coach intent and language first.
Document impact, not adjectives. Impact is actionable.
Decide if someone is coachable or contagious. Protect the culture either way.
If this was helpful, share it with a manager who’s navigating a tough team dynamic. For tools to build trust fast, start here: intentionalaction.net/self-awareness.
Want more like this? Subscribe to You’re the Boss, Now What? and catch the next article in this series: The one mindset shift that stops team conflict before it starts.
