Conversation Planner · for managers
How to talk to an employee who isn't a team player
Read the approach below, or skip ahead and get a plan written for your own situation.
Plan my conversation — free ↓Why the usual approach fails
"Not a team player" is a verdict, and nobody changes in response to a verdict. Underneath it there is always something specific: not sharing information, skipping handoffs, declining to help. Name that, and you have something a person can actually do differently.
How to open
"I want to talk about how work gets shared on the team. Twice this month Alex rebuilt something you'd already finished, because it wasn't in the shared folder. I'd like to understand how you see it."
Ask before you tell
- "How do you decide what to share and when?"
- "What makes sharing early feel risky or pointless?"
- "What would the team need from you to stop duplicating work?"
What to agree before you leave the room
One concrete sharing habit — for example, work in the shared folder by end of day — and a check-in after two weeks.
Make it yours — free
Edit the details below to match your situation and get a full five-step COACH plan by email.
Other conversations
- How to talk to an employee who complains constantly →
- How to talk to an employee who gossips →
- How to talk to an employee who undermines you →
- How to talk to an employee who resists change →
- How to talk to an overwhelmed employee →
- How to talk to an employee who asks for a raise you can't give →
Built on the COACH method by Jon Kludt, Business Coach · Certified EOS Implementer® · thecoachconversation.com