Crazy-Makers: 7 Employee Behaviors That Will Make Any Leader Dread the Morning

There are plenty of headlines and movies about working for a power-crazed or bizarre boss (think “Devil Wears Prada” or “Horrible Bosses”). Employees commiserate about them, Human Resources receives complaints about them, and therapists hear their clients talk about them. But what about the employee who makes their boss and most people around them a bit crazy? They are often referred to as the crazy-makers. Even though they may not have the positional power, they can still have a cancerous impact on both their colleagues and their bosses. You have heard it said that people don’t quit companies, they quit bosses – which is often true. But, good employees can also quit because of the dysfunction of a team member.  

No one sees themselves as “that person.” Illusory superiority causes us to overestimate our positive traits and often fail to see the realities of who we are. The following are seven employee behaviors that can make a leader and everyone around the employee dread getting up and going to work tomorrow.

1. Acting inappropriately towards others.

Have you ever had a team member that was, let’s say, awkward or maybe even a bit creepy? Some people can come across this way and are harmless. They just come up short on the social awareness scale. Years ago, I was talking to a client who said another employee would regularly stop by her office and just stand there and make awkward conversation. In her words – just weird! Regardless of why they act the way they do, these employees can make the people around them feel uncomfortable. This can become a big headache for any leader, especially when the one who acts inappropriately is talented and adds value to the company.

2. Blaming others for their mistakes.

Mistakes are a part of any job in every field. Medicine, construction, engineering, clerical… it doesn’t matter. Everyone will make a mistake in their career, and likely far more than one. Since it is so common, it is fascinating how hard we work at hiding mistakes and failing to take ownership. But it is even worse when an employee shifts the blame for their mistake to others. When a boss and team members see this, it undermines the credibility of the employee and causes as much damage as the mistake itself.

3. Chronic complaining and whining.

Leaders are human, and they have the normal challenges of life that can include financial pressure, complaining kids or family stressors, or personal health issues. So, when they enter the office and hear an employee complaining often and about many things, it can feel like nails dragging down that old-school chalkboard. Everyone has their moments when they are dissatisfied and critical. But that is different than chronic which is a matter of frequency. Employees who are chronic complainers have a draining effect on those around them, including the leaders and even the customers.

4. Excessively talking.

By excessively talking, I don’t mean extroverted. There are plenty of extroverts who know how to monitor and manage the speed and frequency at which their mouths move. I am talking about people who NEVER STOP TALKING. Casual conversation is important to a work culture, but somewhere in the flow, work must get accomplished. And the excessive talker not only isn’t working, but they are also hindering others from working (and sometimes annoying them too). The excessive talker is a problem for leaders because they do not want to discourage conversation, but they need to ensure that work is getting done and they want to shelter other team members from the exhaustion that can result.

5. Not talking enough.

In contrast to the excessive talker, there is also the “no talker” – the team member who seldom engages in conversation. There are plenty of people who are quiet but not uncomfortable. But then there are those who talk so little that people around them are not sure how to build a connection with them. If you are lucky, they will give you one or two-word answers to your questions. They seldom ask questions or show expressions that more naturally fuel relational connection and conversation. And they can make it hard for a leader to build a healthy team culture.

6. Showing up late, leaving early, and calling out.

When an employee frequently shows up late, leaves early, or calls out, it has a ripple effect. Other team members have to pick up their work and will often begin to complain to the leadership about it. Then it becomes the leader’s problem, and, in the midst of so many other challenges and problems a leader manages daily, it can contribute to making the leader a little crazy! According to Zippia, 29% of employees admit to being late once a month which costs companies $3 billion each year. These bad habits affect the reputation of both the employee and their supervisor.

7. Undermining the boss and others.

Merriam-Webster defines subversion as a systemic attempt to overthrow or undermine by working secretly from within. In my years of consulting and leading, I have seen this systemic undermining behavior on several occasions. A dysfunctional employee spreads rumors, holds private meetings with others to “discuss” their boss, or plants seeds of doubt in the minds of the boss’s boss. This type of behavior damages trust, contributes to suspicion, and can make any boss exhausted and exasperated.

If you have a crazy maker on your team, contact us to learn how individualized coaching for your employee could be the first step to easing this burden.

Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.