Hello Priscilla

By this time of year, many contractors and business owners are doing some version of a quiet inventory, thinking about what worked, what did not, and what they hope will feel different in the year ahead. The conversations often start with plans, goals, or growth targets, but they tend to stall when the topic shifts from what to build to what has to be addressed first.
 
Most of the time, the thing that slows everything down is not a system or a market condition. It is a person.
 
It might be an administrator whose role touches every part of the operation but whose behavior creates friction behind the scenes. It could be a project lead who knows the work well but consistently undermines decisions they do not agree with. It might be a crew leader or supervisor who gets results while leaving morale damaged in the process. Often, it is someone with history, influence, and just enough value to make the decision feel complicated.
 
These situations rarely show up cleanly on a spreadsheet.
 
From the outside, things appear functional. Work is getting done. Deadlines are mostly met. Clients are not complaining loudly enough to force action. Inside the business, the weight is noticeable. Meetings feel tighter. Communication feels filtered. You find yourself rechecking work, managing around personalities, or stepping in more than you should, not because your team cannot handle the work, but because one role or relationship has become unpredictable.
 
What makes these situations so difficult is that they rarely start out this way. The person likely played an important role at one point. They helped the business through an earlier stage. They earned trust. They were aligned with the values and expectations of the company at that time.
 
Over the years, though, the business elevated. Standards became clearer. Core values moved from words on a wall to expectations in daily behavior. The work demanded more ownership, more professionalism, and more consistency. The person did not rise with it.
 
Toxic behavior is often quiet and slow-building. It shows up as resistance to new processes, side conversations after decisions are made, negativity framed as realism, or a pattern of conflict that somehow always seems to follow the same individual. Over time, the rest of the team adjusts in ways that are easy to miss. People stop raising issues. They stop offering ideas. They work around the problem instead of addressing it directly because that feels safer and less exhausting.
 
That adaptation comes at a cost.
 
When one person is allowed to operate outside the standards and values everyone else is expected to uphold, the system bends to accommodate them. Accountability weakens. Trust erodes. Leadership credibility starts to fray, even if no one says it out loud.
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Many owners know something needs to change but keep waiting for the right moment. After the busy season. After one more conversation. After one more chance. In the field, the pattern is consistent. The longer the delay, the more normalized the misalignment becomes, and the harder it is to separate loyalty from responsibility.
 
Letting go of a toxic employee is not about punishment or blame. It is about protecting the health of the operation and the people who are trying to do good work within it. It is about honoring the standards and core values you have said matter, even when that decision is uncomfortable.
 
As you look toward 2026, this is a question worth sitting with:
 
What or who is costing more than they are contributing, even if it does not show up neatly in the numbers?
 
That question applies to systems, habits, roles, and sometimes people.
 
In a longer blog post, I walk through the warning signs owners tend to rationalize, how to separate performance gaps from behavioral misalignment, and what to keep in mind when a separation conversation becomes unavoidable.
 
For now, notice where you are compensating, smoothing over, or carrying extra weight. Those places usually tell the truth before anything else does.

And if this landed close to home, you do not have to sort it out alone. Reach out if you want a steady, confidential place to think it through before making a decision. 
 
Your Partner in Success,
Priscilla
 
 

 

Here's some NEWS you can use!

 🤝 NETWORKING

  • January 15 — 5:30 PM — Home Builders & Remodelers of Maine | Builders, Business & Beer at Cowbell, Scarborough. MEMIC will present on injury management, workers' compensation requirements, and resources.
  • January 21, 2026 — 5:00–7:00 PM — Institute for Family-Owned Business New Year Party (all are welcome with RSVP). Woodlands Club, Falmouth. 

📚  EDUCATION

  • International Builders’ Show (IBS) — Priscilla Mahoney will be presenting. IBS remains one of the most comprehensive education and networking events for residential construction professionals. 
  • JLC LIVE (New England–friendly national event) — Classroom-style education focused on field execution, project management, and building science. Dates vary by location.
  • AGC of Maine, AGC of New Hampshire, and AGC of Massachusetts — Ongoing winter education offerings, including supervision, safety leadership, and project management (mix of in-person and virtual).
  • Local SBDCs (ME, NH, MA) — Regular workshops and webinars on operations, leadership, hiring, and financial management, often no-cost. 

💡 WISDOM

  • From the Blog: When Letting Go of a Toxic Employee Becomes the Right Leadership Decision.
  • Building strong teams starts with behavior, not org charts. Clear expectations, consistent follow-through, and leaders who address issues early do more to shape culture than perks or titles.
  • Recommended read: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni — still relevant for owners navigating trust, accountability, and performance conversations. 

👷‍♀️ SUPPORT

  • SafetyWorks! (Maine) — Free onsite safety consultations, training, and hazard assessments for employers looking to reduce risk and improve jobsite practices.
  • Harold Alfond Workforce Development Grant (Maine) — Funding support for employee training, upskilling, and leadership development across skilled trades and related industries.
  • NH Works / New Hampshire Workforce Training Fund — Grant funding available to offset training costs for New Hampshire employers investing in employee skill development.
  • NFIB Webinar — Protect Your Business From Lawsuits — Practical legal risk guidance for small business owners. 
  • Small Business Development Centers (ME, NH, MA) — No-cost advising and training support for business planning, hiring, and operational improvement.

 

 
Priscilla Hansen Mahoney
Blazing Trails Coaching, LLC