The current composition of the group lacks the necessary balance, as three of five animals — a donkey, a monkey, and a peacock display potentially disruptive behaviors. However, only an inspirational lion has the authority and power to rectify the situation, while a nice and loving cat is too busy cleaning up and organizing. As such, the group needs patient and imposing members who would be able to improve the discipline and enhance the performance of group members with disruptive attitudes. An elephant and a crocodile would meet these requirements — both animals are incredibly patient, resilient, and strong. Therefore, their influence would likely make a donkey more constructive, a monkey — more focused, and a peacock — less arrogant.
However, attempts to improve discipline and correct toxic behaviors within the team might lower the morale of affected team members and undermine the team’s performance. In this regard, group leaders should implement additional measures in order to prevent potential morale-related issues. For example, Waters (2021) recommends finding an optimal autonomy-accountability balance and rewarding the employees with positive feedback when they perform well. An elephant and a crocodile would provide the necessary leadership by taking the time and coaching the troublesome group members. In addition, I would suggest patience and privacy for cultivating the transition toward helpful behaviors. I would promote a culture of sincerity and openness, so the roots of bad attitudes could be identified and addressed without unnecessary conflicts.
Lastly, controlling those harming the group’s productivity depends on the type and extent of adverse behaviors. For instance, a peacock struts around and gets little done — therefore, showing him the true impact of his work in facts and numbers might put him in line (Gambone, n.d.). In the donkey’s case, explaining his professional duties in detail and listening to his concerns might be beneficial since passive-aggressive stubbornness may stem from confusion and frustration (Johnson, n.d.). Regardless, sincerity, openness, and confronting behavior rather than a person are critical for dealing with adverse attitudes in a team.
References
Gambone, G. (n.d.). How to deal with arrogant employees. Chron. Web.
Johnson, B. (n.d.). How to deal with stubborn employees. Chron. Web.
Waters, S. (2021). The 7 surefire ways to boost employee morale. BetterUp. Web.