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Geotechnical News • September 2013
51
ASFE NEWS
the person in charge has to rely on the
toxic employee even more, magnify-
ing and accelerating the damage being
done.
Here are some warning signs that an
employee is becoming toxic and needs
to be dismissed, assuming regular
meetings and discussions don’t work:
1. They have problems they need
your help with,
and the problems are
always the same or always different;
it doesn’t really matter. They need
attention; they want help. You’ve told
them, “Don’t bring me problems.
Bring me your problems and, for each,
at least three alternative solutions.”
But that doesn’t happen. Just prob-
lems. Bye-bye.
2. They affect overall staff morale
with
almost-constant complaining, bicker-
ing, and general negativity. It’s not
pleasant to be around such goings-on,
especially when they lead to debates
where what’s wrong gets exaggerated
and what’s right is overlooked almost
entirely. When they’re removed from
staff, what’s wrong becomes far less
important, in part because people real-
ize they are at liberty to recommend
changes for improvement. Bye-bye.
3. The cost of standing pat becomes
too high,
because at least one rising
star has left and you fear others will
follow, possibly moving to the same
competitor. If that has happened, or if
your fear that it will is eroding your
own peace of mind and productiv-
ity, the time has come to let the toxic
employee move to a competitor, giv-
ing you a chance to develop the rising
stars still with you, who have stayed
because they respect your insight and
decisiveness. Bye-bye.
4. They come home with you,
because
they’re in your mind while you’re
having dinner, playing with the kids,
or watching TV. You can’t fall asleep
because you’re thinking about what to
do, and that’s the first thought in your
mind when you awake. Bye-bye.
5. That “little voice” says, “Time to
say bye-bye.”
Act on it! You’ll be bet-
ter off. Others on staff will be better
off. The firm will be better off. And,
nine times out of ten, toxic employees
will be better off, too, assuming they
find positions that better meet their
needs. (If not, too bad. It’s not your
problem.) Bye-bye.
Slow and steady doesn’t cut it
anymore
Two hares are getting ready to race.
One of them looks quite fit. The other
seems somewhat ungainly; misshapen
somehow; an awkward mover. “On
your marks.” Both assume the posi-
tion. “Get set.” Both tauten.
“Bang!”
And away they go, neck and neck in a
five-lap contest. The fitter of the two
takes an early lead, but not by much.
Going into lap two, they’re even. But
coming out of lap two, the fitter of the
two is revealing himself to be not as fit
as he – and we – might have thought.
Midway through lap three, the fitter is
losing ground; breathing heavily; not
using its resources well. Lap four: The
penultimate lap, and the ungainly hare
is clearly in the lead, moving awk-
wardly fast. Then the bell lap, with our
ungainly friend moving along more
efficiently, more wisely, and – ta da! –
home the winner.
“How’d you do it?” the better-looking
of the two asked, breathing heavily,
paws on hips, ears drooping. “Well,”
said his competitor, “I finally did what
I knew I had to do to win. I always
had the right attitude, I thought: I’ve
always been steady; never gave up.
I just kept plodding away. But then
I realized that wasn’t enough. As
long as you did what you could do,
and what with all the new hares in
town, I’d get beaten. I just had to
move faster and better; it’s a new
day, y’know? I had to get rid of the
negatives and strengthen my hold on
the positives. I had to become more
efficient. I couldn’t rely on past vic-
tories to assure more victories in the
future. I had to know myself so I could
improve myself and outdistance all the
competition. And I did it.”
“Wow,” said the defeated hare, clearly
impressed. “How’d you do that?”
“Well,” said the other runner, “I had
a Peer Review.” And with that, he put
his hand to his forehead and pulled
down a hidden zipper right to his
inseam, revealing himself to be none
other than the tortoise. “And boy, did
it ever help.”
Are you ready for the new age of
competition sure to be around the
corner? Get your firm ready to run the
distance, just as Klohn Crippen Berger
and Holdrege & Kull did. Ask Alex
and Tom how they feel now…assum-
ing you can catch up. And if you do,
don’t stare at their foreheads!
Alex Sy, P.Eng.
Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd
.
Vancouver, BC
http://www.klohn.com
Tom Holdrege, P.E., P.G., C.E.G.
Holdrege & Kull Consulting Engi-
neers and Geologists
Nevada City, CA
http://www.holdregeandkull.com
Editorial
Service as an expert allows you to
serve justice, providing you perform
properly. Consensus guidelines for
proper performance are related in
Recommended Practices for Design
Professionals Engaged as Experts in
the Resolution of Construction Indus-
try Disputes
. Conceived by ASFE and
developed by the Interprofessional
Council on Environmental Design
(ICED),
Recommended Practices…
sets forth 13 recommendations. It is
the most extensively endorsed docu-
ment of its kind. ASCE, NSPE, AIA,
ACEC, ASHRAE, and ASME are
among the 40-plus organizations that
have given it their blessing.
Experts’ role is particularly important
when a design or environmental pro-
fessional is accused of negligence. In
almost all cases, experts are required
to give their opinions about the appli-
cable standard of care, and whether or
not the professional met it. Profession-
als meet the standard of care when a
trier of fact (judge or, more commonly,
a jury) believes they applied the skill
and care ordinarily applied at the time