1. Ruining It for
the Rest of Us
This American Life
Eric Glass

2. Can ONE person in the
workplace ruin the workplace?

3. Bad Apple Behaviors
 Reflect 3 personality types
 Jerk
 Attacks, insults others
 Slacker
 Does little or no work
 Depressive Pessimist
 Has little hope for success

4. Bad Apple Experiment
 Can ONE bad apple negatively impact a TEAM?
 Logistics
 Confederate (Actor) teamed with college students
 Team was familiar with basic management decision
making to solve a problem
 Given 45 minutes to complete the exercise
 Group was told they would receive a prize and $100
for completing the assignment

5. Nick “The Bad Apple”
 Playing the Jerk
 “Are you kidding me?!?!?!?”
 “Have you actually taken a business course before?!?”
 Playing the Slacker
 Laid back body position, texting, eating
 Depressive Pessimist
 Head down on table, depressed (S-I-G-H)

6. Bad Apple Traits
 Depressive Pessimist
 Complains that the task is not enjoyable
 Makes statements that the group will not succeed
 Jerk
 Other group member ideas are inadequate but
will offer not alternatives
 Slacker
 “Whatever…”
 “I don’t really care…”

7. According to Research….
 Bad apple should have NO impact on the
group.
 People typically adhere to GROUP values
and norms.
 Bad Apple experiment found the opposite
to be true
 Groups performed worse
 Regardless of talent/personality of team
members.

8. Teams performed 30-40% worse than
those without the bad apple.

9. The BEST predictor of how any
team performs is not how the
best team member is or the
average group member is,
but how your worst team
member is.

10. Am I the Bad Apple?
How is MY behavior affecting the
group? What can I do to change?

11. Attitudes are Contagious.
Is yours worth catching?

12. Great Performance in spite of
the Bad Apple
 Strong Leadership
 Asking Questions/input from EACH Team
member
 Diffusing conflict immediately