Over the last two decades I've advised management at almost every kind of business from hair salons to auto parts manufacturers and there is an all too common problem: a key employee who is misaligned with company goals or operations. A primary value I bring to a company is the ability to identify roadblocks that are slowing or otherwise limiting company success and often the roadblock is a person. They come in a variety of positions including key sales person, key technical person, or key operations person.
 
The problem key sales person might have the biggest sales numbers so management considers him a sacred cow and gives him way too much leeway in how he operates within the company or interfaces with other departments. The problem key technical person typically has everyone convinced that he is irreplaceable, the world will collapse if he is diverted from his mission-critical job, and management also gives this fellow way too much leeway in his activities. Finally the problem key operations person, while not as overtly problematic, maintains important operations information "in his head", thus making him also seem irreplaceable and a danger to the company's future.
 
If you're still reading, odds are you have one or more of these people within your company and have been frustrated at some point, if not daily, because the problem sales person is cavalier about the need for him to attend company meetings, the technical person gets away with indecipherable responses when critical technology isn't working, and the operations person just "doesn't have the time" to share his information with others or document the operations process.
 
So, you've now identified the problem but what can you do? Here is the attitude you absolutely must have or you're limiting your business. First, EVERYONE can be replaced if they are negatively affecting the business (this is an internal attitude for management and not in conflict with the absolute need to respect and care for every contributing member of your team). Sure there might be a dip in sales if you drop the sales person but is he perhaps costing your company more in terms of morale as others see the rules don't apply to this fellow? The email system might be down for a few hours as a new technical person takes the helm but perhaps your technology will work better overall. And what about the problem key operations person? If you would be out of business if he quit or became ill, you're risking too much.
 
Now with your new attitude that the sky won't fall, get a backup plan in place, and then go directly to your problem key employee and respectfully explain your discomfort. Oftentimes the problem ends here as people just don't think how their actions and attitudes can affect a company as a whole. Sometimes, however the key employee, believing himself irreplaceable will make an untenable stand and you have to eliminate the problem that very moment; no half measures where you simmer for weeks while the employee nukes some hard-drives and bad mouths you in the lunch room - just give him his severance and send him on his way. I should note here that any plan to dismiss an employee should always be passed by your HR manager and/or attorney just to make sure you're covered in terms of liability.
 
For your comfort my staff and I have seen each of the above scenarios scores of times and in every case sales go up surprisingly quickly as other salespeople step up their efforts to fill the void; the new technology person is universally better as your company has likely outgrown the former guru and part of his difficult attitude was perhaps his inability to understand how to address expanding needs; and you will sleep better at night knowing that no single operations person can crash your business by quitting or making some unreasonable demand.
 
Is a key employee holding You hostage? Take care of it immediately. You'll profit from the result.