The Bad Apple Effect can deeply sabotage a team’s performance and development. Recently, I had an eye-opening experience outside of the professional world that showed me just how much individual negativity can damage a group. Both my sons play football - one at the academy level and the other at grassroots - and despite the differences in levels and commitment, I noticed the same troubling patterns emerging over time.
Even with talented, capable players, their respective teams often underperformed and struggled to progress in their development. It wasn’t a lack of skill or effort from most of the boys. The issue was more subtle: negative behaviours from a few players were affecting the entire team, both in matches and during training.
This led me to explore any published research on how negativity impacts teams, which is when I came across a 2006 study known as the "Bad Apple effect".
The idea is simple: one person exhibiting toxic behaviour- whether through laziness, constant complaining, or being disruptive -can drag down the performance of an entire group. Watching these matches, it was impossible to ignore how all three negative behaviours were playing out among a few players, which is perhaps understandable with teenage boys. Still, these negative attitudes were affecting the whole team's morale and teamwork. Even though most of the players were talented and hardworking, their performance was overshadowed by the negative atmosphere.
The study, led by Will Felps and his colleagues, demonstrated how a single "bad apple" could significantly decrease team output and morale. They identified three types of negative behaviours:
- The "jerk": A team member who is consistently critical or disrespectful to others.
- The "lazy person": Someone who disengages and does the bare minimum.
- The "complainer": A person who is always negative about outcomes or the team’s chances, sapping motivation.
While watching these football matches, I realised how these behaviours manifest in real life. You could see the players who constantly criticised others, those who seemed disengaged, and those who were always negative about the team's chances of success.
What’s striking is how contagious these behaviours can be. I’ve often said, even before reading the study, that negativity sucks the energy out of a team - and watching these matches confirmed that. One boy’s disengagement on the field quickly spread, creating a ripple effect that dampened the energy of everyone else. It was as if the entire team got sucked into this downward spiral, and despite having all the right tools to win, they just couldn’t deliver.
Have you ever seen this play out? Maybe in your workplace, on a team you’ve coached, or even in a casual setting? It’s often hard to see at first, but once you notice it, the signs are clear. What starts as one person's bad attitude soon transforms into a team-wide problem, where even the most enthusiastic members begin to underperform or disengage.
The Facts: Summarising the Study’s Key Findings
The 2006 bad apple effect study highlighted some eye-opening data:
- Teams with a "bad apple", a member demonstrating negative behaviour, showed 30% to 40% worse performance compared to teams without a negative individual.
- Morale dropped 40% in teams that had to cope with the negative behaviours of just one individual.
- Even when a team was made up of high-performing individuals, the introduction of a single negative member led to a significant drop in productivity and cohesion.
- Teams with a negative member saw creativity and problem-solving drop by 50%.
These figures demonstrate how powerful and damaging the influence of a single person can be on overall team performance.
This underscores the importance of addressing negativity head-on, whether in sports or business delivery teams. Agile leadership, for instance, requires more than simply following practices -it demands the right mindset and ensuring you have the right people "on the bus," as Jim Collins suggests in Good to Great. Agile thrives on collaboration, continuous improvement, and its core principles and values. While practices and tools like Scrum or Kanban help teams live those values, no amount of process can overcome unchecked negative behaviours. The study highlights that one bad apple can spoil the bunch. It’s not just about the skills each person brings, but also their mindset and how it shapes the team’s dynamic.
Addressing Negativity in Agile and Scrum Teams
In my work with helping teams in organisation, in particular in adopting Scrum or shifting towards an Agile way of working, I’ve seen negativity arise from deeper issues beyond the misunderstandings of Agile principles. Often, a negativity stems from holding onto outdated ways of working - such as focusing on projects instead of outcomes or neglecting the practices necessary for continuous learning and improvement. This leads to frustration, disengagement, and resistance.
Some common sources of negativity in these teams include:
- Focusing on outputs instead of outcomes: Teams that remain project-focused instead of outcome-driven often experience frustration. The shift to an outcome focus, supported by a framework like Evidence-Based Management (EBM), can be challenging but is essential for long-term success.
- Lack of leadership enabling self-management: Agile leadership requires creating an environment that empowers teams to self-manage while providing clear goals and accountability. Leaders who cling to traditional command-and-control methods create negativity, making it harder for teams to grow and collaborate effectively.
- Neglecting continuous learning and improvement: Teams that don’t embrace continuous improvement often stagnate. Agile thrives in environments where learning is constant, and teams adapt and grow based on feedback and inspection. When this focus is missing, frustration sets in.
- Lack of technical excellence and a Quality First mindset: Neglecting modern technical practices, such as continuous delivery and XP (Extreme Programming), creates a performance gap. Without technical excellence and a focus on Quality First, teams struggle to deliver value consistently, leading to disengagement and negativity.
Each of these issues can be incredibly damaging if not addressed. Overcoming negativity requires a shift in mindset and practices, reinforcing the importance of outcome-driven work, continuous improvement, and technical excellence. When teams understand the "why," embrace change, and focus on delivering value through learning and quality, they are far more likely to thrive in an Agile environment.
For more on this, you can explore our related blogs:
How to Tackle Negativity in Teams
If you’re facing negativity in your team - whether it’s related to Agile, Scrum, or any other aspect of work- there are some key steps to take:
- Encourage Open Communication: Ensure team members feel heard and valued by creating spaces for feedback. This can help identify issues early and prevent negativity from festering. For more on building healthy team relationships through feedback, check out our blog Building Healthy Team Relationships Through Feedback.
- Address Negativity Early: Don’t let toxic behaviours go unnoticed. Address them head-on through one-on-one conversations or coaching to understand the root cause and help the individual shift their mindset.
- Foster Continuous Learning: Many times, negativity arises from incorrect preconceptions or misunderstandings of Agile principles or practices. To tackle this, create opportunities for deeper learning and education. Helping team members gain a clearer understanding of Agile’s core values and practices can reduce frustration and resistance, fostering a more positive and engaged team environment.
- Lead by Example: As a leader or coach, modelling positive behaviours, collaboration, and a growth mindset can inspire others to do the same and minimize the impact of negativity.
The Bad Apple Effect isn’t limited to sports or business; it highlights the universal impact of unchecked negativity. Whether it’s the "jerk," the "lazy person," or the "complainer," recognising and addressing these behaviours is crucial to preserving team morale and performance. This is especially important in Agile environments, where collaboration and self-management are essential for success.
What about you? Have you noticed this bad apple effect in teams you’ve been part of? How did it affect performance? And more importantly, what steps were taken to address it? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
If negativity is holding your team back, our Agile coaching and training services can help you build stronger, more adaptable teams. Learn more about how we can support your team’s journey towards continuous improvement and business agility. Contact us or explore our services here.