Author Moe Glenner shares some interesting thoughts on selfish employees. See if you agree… When Gordon Gekko says, “greed is good,” we tend not to empathize with him, instead opting to scorn his “all for me” mentality. The word “selfish” is most often used in a derisive manner. Furthermore, we have been counseled from an early age about the virtues of sharing and giving, albeit for some of us, it was a forced lesson. But is this really the best lesson in all situations, particularly in business?
There is a common misconception that a selfish person makes for an unmanageable employee. After all, they are only in it for themselves. Perhaps this person will actually destroy the team dynamic that we all strive for within our organizations. We frequently seek out the “all for one and one for all” mentality. We truly want the “rah-rah, go team” imbued throughout our organization. We also love to repeat the mantra that “there is no I in team.” What we overlook, is that while there may not be an “I” in team, there is a “me.” Organizations don’t pay positive attention to the “me” oriented employees at their own peril. They miss on the opportunity to gain highly self-motivated team members whose working end result will significantly benefit the organization.
The selfish employee can actually be the hardest working member of the team. However, we do need to distinguish between the selfish employee and the obstinate employee. A selfish employee is seeking satisfaction of their personal drivers. They are willing to do the work and sometimes even “go beyond” in their personal driver satisfaction efforts. A selfish employee is not obstinate or insubordinate, rather focused on attaining their personal goals. By providing the path to this satisfaction, an employer can harness this selfish motivation for the greater good of the organization.
An obstinate employee is someone that refuses to do the work assigned and frequently conjures up avoidance methods. There may be many reasons for this resistance, such as confusion and fear, but left unaddressed this employee will create serious risk for the continuing viability of the team. But if the underlying reasons are successfully addressed, this employee can be transformed into a productive team member.
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