The Cost of a Toxic Employee – An Endo Story

David Stamation, Executive Life Coach

Toxic Team Members: How Negativity Derails an Endodontic Office

Working closely with endodontists, I see how toxic team members drain energy, sap morale, and erode trust—and the costliest effect is that they drive away top talent. Left unchecked, even one difficult employee can slow an entire practice. Here’s a story that shows the impact—and how to turn it around.

The Toxic Anchor

By 8:30 a.m., the office energy was heavy. Most of the team hustled to set up, but one employee—let’s call her Tina—sat at the front desk, arms folded. When asked to help, her replies were sharp and short: “I can’t.” “I’ll try.” “Sure, whatever.”

Tina carried herself like a victim of everyone else’s choices. When the doctor pushed for new systems, she sighed loudly: “We’ve tried that before; it never works.” If a coworker suggested a new approach, she muttered under her breath: “Of course, blame me again.”

Her favorite move was stirring the pot—telling one assistant, “The other doc thinks you’re too slow,” then whispering to another, “She said you don’t care about patients.” The result? Distrust. Frustration. Silence. By mid-morning, tension was palpable. The associate avoided the break room, the front desk spoke in clipped tones, and the owner wondered why every small change turned into a battle.

Taking Action Through Coaching

Firing Tina wasn’t easy. The owner worried about being short-staffed, stretching everyone thin, and creating more strain. What if patients noticed the gaps? Would the team resent the extra load? Beneath it all was a deeper fear of being seen as the “bad guy.”

Through coaching, the doctor clarified what they truly wanted: a culture rooted in trust, accountability, and teamwork. Coaching created a safe space to face fear honestly and step into leadership rather than rescue mode. With clarity and support, the owner found the confidence to take decisive action.

Where Endo Executive Coaching fits in your world:

You have a vision, systems, and values—but something’s keeping it from all coming together. We address that inertia—the why behind why we don’t or can’t follow through. Often, it’s emotional baggage. Endo Executive Coaching helps you bring your vision to life and find your voice to defend the culture you want. I help owners get clean and clear about why they’re letting their “Tina” go.

After Tina Left

Once Tina was gone, the team was down a person but instead of unraveling, something remarkable happened. People stepped up beyond their usual roles, not because they had to, but because they wanted to. The associate endodontist supported the assistants, and the front office communicated more clearly with the clinical team.

I see this pattern again and again: short-handed teams gain energy, focus, and momentum once a toxic employee is removed.

And Mondays changed too. What once felt heavy with dread now carried energy. Team members arrived motivated, confident, and proud of their practice. Conversations lightened, laughter returned, and patients noticed the difference. Morning huddles shifted from silence or sarcasm to genuine collaboration and initiative. What used to feel like a burden became a shared mission.

Dr. Reynolds reflected:

“I didn’t realize how much space Tina took up—until she wasn’t here anymore. We’re down a person, but it feels like we finally gained a team. Seeing morale jump so quickly was fulfilling.”

What This Story Teaches Us

Tina’s presence wasn’t just a nuisance it was a drain. Her gossip, negativity, and resistance to change eroded trust and stalled growth. Left unchecked, one toxic employee can anchor a practice in dysfunction.

The turnaround shows what’s possible when leadership gets clear and courageous. Through coaching, the practice owner aligned with their values, processed fear, and took intentional action. The result? Even short-staffed, the team pulled together, regained confidence, and rediscovered joy in their work.

Drama and toxicity aren’t just problems, they’re signals. Ignored, they spiral. Addressed intentionally, they become catalysts for renewed trust, clarity, and growth.

How Coaching Can Help

Endo Executive Coaching gives you tools, clarity, and support to:

• Address negativity and gossip before it spreads.

• Strengthen leadership confidence and decision-making. (Use a client favorite tool: Have the Back of the Practice.)

• Reprogram unhelpful patterns and remove emotional blocks. (Tackle the Nice Guy Syndrome.)

• Build a motivated, engaged, high-performing team that feels seen and heard.

The Bigger Result: dramatically improved employee retention and a culture where loyalty has a chance to grow.

Leadership doesn’t have to go it alone. If you’re ready to tackle drama, toxic dynamics, or recurring tension, coaching provides a safe space to act, gain clarity, and build the practice you envision.

Take the next step: Lead with courage and clarity—don’t let one person hold your team back. Explore Endo Executive Coaching and start transforming your culture today. Scroll to the bottom of this page to initiate a chat.

How Endo Executive Coaching Differs from Practice Management

Endo Executive Coaching focuses on personal growth that clears the way for a more fulfilling engagement in marketing, successful systems deployment, efficiency and office management. It’s not about drafting a vision or installing new processes, it’s about looking inward, clarifying your values, and identifying repeated patterns that no longer serve you. By uncovering and removing emotional blocks, coaching complements programs like Endo Mastery by strengthening your confidence, presence, and ability to navigate challenges authentically.