Kisses of Death in an Organization

Kisses of Death in an Organization

Have you ever watched a group or company slowly die from the inside out? Are you starting to experience symptoms like this in your business or organization?

I’m Jana Hennemann, and today we are talking about Who the Kisses of Death in an organization are, and how to spot them early.

1. The NOT Know-It-All Conversation Hog

This person dominates conversations, often neglecting other team members who may actually have answers to the challenges an organization is facing.

These people dominate the conversation and may do so for a variety of reasons. Maybe they want to look knowledgable or important. Maybe they don’t realize they do it – they are passionate and feel like they have a lot to share.
Or perhaps they are compensating for feeling unequipped, unknowledgeable, etc.

The point is this, they are a “kiss of death” in an organization, because they suppress ideas and voices, reduce team engagement, creates an unbalanced team dynamic, impedes the professional development of others, & affects the quality of decision making.

2. The Silo Keeper – or the Quiet One Who Has All the Answers

This person is smart & intelligent, but hardly ever speaks up. What worse, is even though they have all the answers, they go with the flow of what everyone else wants so as not to “rock the boat.” Or worse, they hoard the information for themselves out of spite or aggression.

Or they are reluctant to share information or collaborate with other departments, preferring to work in isolation or keep their team’s knowledge to themselves. They may hoard data or insights that could benefit the wider organization.

With this person, the organization will experience missed opportunities for improvement as a team, reduced team effectiveness, disengagement among peers, stifled or unwanted results.

3. The Office Politician

This person navigates the workplace through manipulation and politics rather than merit and collaboration. They really are only looking out for themselves, playing a win/lose game. Sure, a little bit of competition in an organization or amongst team members can be healthy, but this person is selfish – ready to throw anyone under the bus if it elevates them in some way.

They spend more time cultivating alliances and plotting their next career move than focusing on the actual work or team success.

Their actions can create divisions within the team, breed mistrust, and lead to a toxic work environment where decisions are made based on politics rather than what’s best for the team or the company.

4. The Over-Promiser:

Description: This person consistently commits to tasks or projects without realistic plans for delivery. They tend to promise more than they can deliver, often to impress superiors or clients.
Impact: Their inability to fulfill commitments can lead to missed deadlines, under-delivered projects, and eroded trust both within the team and with external stakeholders.

5. The Micromanager

Description: This individual does not delegate effectively, preferring instead to control every detail of the work done in their purview, often stifling team autonomy and creativity.

Impact: Micromanagement can demoralize employees, reduce their engagement and productivity, and prevent them from developing their skills, which can stifle professional growth and innovation.

In summary, there are several ways kisses of death can slowly destroy an organization from the inside out. AND there are several more kisses of death out there- there’s the gossip, there’s the burn out, and even the overly skeptic skeptic – resistant to change and overly negative.

The point is this, if you fill your team and your organization with people who are, in the words of Patrick Lencioni “humble, hungry and smart,” you will grow to new heights.

If you have anyone in your organization who is a kiss of death, be sure to approach them appropriately or get rid of them altogether. They are only going to bring the group down & your overall results!

I’m Jana Hennemann wishing you organizational success. Please remember to like, follow, & subscribe to our social channels, and I’ll see you next week!