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Is your team haunted by ghost teammates? Halloween is the perfect occasion to discuss the menacing nature of ghost teammates—team members who disappear when they are needed the most.

Ghost teammates are not dependable. They have an aversion to challenges and a knack for vanishing anytime they might be inconvenienced.

Ghost teammates are fence-riders, space-fillers, and work-avoiders. They don’t take initiative. They don’t take responsibility. And they don’t ever take a stand. The only commitment they take seriously is their commitment to remain as invisible as possible.

Too many ghost teammates will haunt your team.

Fortunately, eliminating ghost teammates doesn’t necessitate a séance, exorcism, or any other type of supernatural ritual. The solution is usually just a matter of getting them to realize the impact their ghostly behaviors have on the rest of their team.

Make sure ghost teammates know that you see them. Consider the ghosts from Beetlejuice,  Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis). Once they realized that Lydia (Wynona Ryder) could see them, their approach changed. They became much more mindful of their actions. The same is true for ghost teammates.

Ghost teammates require paranormal  attention. Acknowledgement draws them out of the shadows. Deliberately recognize them during team gatherings beyond the scope of what you normally would. Motivate them to be more invested in the team by putting them on the spot and not allowing them to remain invisible.

Team success is dependent upon every team member contributing meaningfully. Allowing some members to get away with not pulling their weight will lead to resentment, and it won’t be long until dysfunction creeps into the team’s culture.

To ward off resentment, you must “unmask” ghost teammates. Think about the gang from Scooby Doo unmasking the old miner’s ghost. (I would’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!) The old miner’s ghost had everyone, including himself, fooled until the gang took off his mask and exposed his true identity. He got away with it, until he couldn’t.

Lay out expectations and hold team members accountable to those expectations. Let ghost teammates know that you see them for what they are, others see them for what they are, and that they need to see themselves for what they are—a detriment to their team’s culture.

This tactic will increase their self-awareness and minimize their anonymity.

Ghost teammates may not be dead, but they are certainly not A.L.I.V.E. (Active, Loyal, Invested, Viral, and Empathetic). Until your team is purged of ghost teammates, it will continue to be terrorized by their presence.

As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.

Lance Loya is the founder and CEO of the Good Teammate Factory. He is a former sports coach turned bestselling author, blogger, and professional speaker, who inspires TEAMBUSTERS to become TEAMMATES. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or through his weekly Teammate Tuesday blog.

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