Every one of us comes across a situation, in the profession, society or family, when one member is completely non-cooperative, or non-performing. It affects the performance of the whole team, as the strength of the chain is not more than its weakest link. Dealing with such a person becomes so difficult that we simply avoid facing him/her. It creates an embarrassing situation to engage with the person on any issue. The presence of such a team member affects the performance of the whole team, discourages other performing members, and demotivates everyone. So what's the solution? Easy guess, change the person.
What if it is not possible to change such a person? Well, it might be a harsh reality sometime but we have to face it. The person stays there, right in front of our eyes, not doing anything, just poking us and others on every occasion, creating irritation and hurdles in work - but we are helpless. It may also lead to interpersonal issues, individual-level frictions and bitterness in the work or social atmosphere. Still, the person may remain defiant and incorrigible, especially if it is an attitudinal issue. It is because some people cannot see things from others' perspectives, and are so self-centred. It is also possible that the person is behaving in that particular way only with you, adamant to fail you, irritate you and harass you.
For the sake of peace of mind, and efficiency of yourself and the organisation, it is better - not ideal - to leave that person alone, and keep doing whatever possible good work you can do with other team members. Obviously, management gurus would advise against leaving any person and plead for a team-building approach, but it is easier said than done. Therefore, without waiting any longer, or being self-critical for the reason of someone being unreformable, it is better to focus on the available strength and deliver the best possible result. After all, in every team, there are a few underperformers, some are critical and maybe even a few are anti-agenda. It is never an ideal situation, never all forces work together. Self-guilt doesn't help but self-reliance helps. So, wish all the best to that person, and keep working - in your social, professional or family set-up.
