New Year, Same Toxic Employee? That’s On You.

We are weeks away from a fresh calendar. The temptation right now is to coast. To put on the holiday music, eat the cookies in the breakroom, and tell yourself, "I'll deal with that problem in January."

And by "that problem," I mean that person.

Every manager has one. The employee who drains the energy out of the room. The one who constantly misses deadlines, stirs up drama, or does the bare minimum while your superstars pick up the slack.

You’re telling yourself a lie right now. You’re thinking, "Maybe the holiday break will do them good. Maybe they’ll come back in January refreshed and ready to work."

Newsflash: They won’t.

The calendar might change, but people don't magically transform just because the ball drops. If you drag a toxic employee or an underperformer into the New Year without a plan, you aren't just delaying the pain. You are sabotaging your 2026 before it even starts.

Here is the hard truth: If you still have the same headache in January that you have today, that is not their fault. That is yours.

Here is how to stop dragging "dead weight" into the New Year.

1. Stop “Hoping” and Start Leading

Hope is not a strategy. Waiting for a problem employee to "get it" on their own is lazy leadership.

Your high performers are watching you. They know exactly who isn't pulling their weight. When you tolerate mediocrity, especially during the year-end crunch. You are sending a billboard-sized message to your best people: "I don't care enough to fix this."

You risk losing your superstars because you’re too afraid to confront your slackers.

2. Ask the "Forklift" Question

Before you write someone off completely, look in the mirror. Have you actually given them the tools to succeed, or did you just throw them into the deep end?

As John always says, “You would never allow a forklift driver to drive without training… So why do we allow leaders (and employees) to fly by the seat of their pants?”

If you promoted someone to Team Lead but never taught them how to lead, their failure is on you. If you have an employee struggling with accountability but you’ve never provided clear supervision training, you haven't done your job.

You have two choices right now: Train them or free them. There is no middle ground.

3. The Cheaper Option: Train Them

Firing people is expensive. Recruiting is a nightmare. Before you make a drastic move, ask yourself: Can this person be saved with the right instruction?

John often reminds us: “You will pay for training whether you intend to or not.”

You can pay for it proactively by building their skills, or you can pay for it reactively in lost productivity, severance packages, and recruitment fees.

Give them a fighting chance. Assign them a concrete development path over the holidays:

• For the new leader struggling to manage people: Enroll them in Leadership for Team Leads ($199). It’s a small price to pay to find out if they have what it takes.

  
  

• For the supervisor lacking structure: Get them into the Fundamentals of Supervision training ($449). Give them the blueprint they are missing.

  
  

• For the potential grower: At the very least, send them a link to John’s Podcast. If they can’t be bothered to listen to a free resource to improve their career, you have your answer.

  
  

4. The Hard Option: Cut the Cord

If you have trained them, coached them, supported them, and they still are not performing?

Then you need to give yourself (and your team) the gift of subtraction this holiday season.

There is nothing magical about January 1st that fixes a bad attitude or a lack of aptitude. Do not let one bad apple rot your crop for another year. Have the tough conversation now. Transition them out.

Start the year with a team that wants to be there, not a team you have to drag across the finish line.

Don't let complacency ruin your New Year. Look at your roster. Look at the gaps. Make the decision: Invest in them or move on.

Need help figuring out which one to do? Connect with John and let's clean up your strategy for 2026.