How to Stop a Hidden Cancer Eating Away at Your Team’s Productivity

Episode 330: What’s the hidden habit that silently sabotages your team’s productivity—and are you accidentally feeding it?

If you’ve ever sensed tension in the room, watched projects slow down for no clear reason, or noticed morale slipping even though no one is talking about the real issue, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar. You’ll discover how conflict avoidance—what the host calls “Diaper Genie syndrome”—quietly derails the team’s productivity and holds you back from the influence, clarity, and results you’re striving for.

• Understand exactly how conflict avoidance erodes trust, clarity, and your team’s productivity—and learn the early signs so you can stop it before it compounds.

• Get practical phrases and simple conversation openers that help you address tension directly and respectfully.

• Walk away with four small weekly experiments that make it easier to break the habit of avoidance and lead with more confidence and impact.

Play the episode now to learn the mindset shifts and everyday techniques that can immediately boost your team’s productivity and your influence as a leader.

Understanding Diaper Genie Syndrome and Its Impact on the Team’s Productivity

00:00 — A Hidden Threat to Workplace Health.
David introduces the “cancer” that quietly drains morale and undermines the team’s productivity. He explains why this topic matters to any leader who wants stronger results.

00:49 — What Diaper Genie Syndrome Really Is.
He describes how conflict gets wrapped up and avoided, creating a buildup of unresolved issues that eventually impacts your team’s overall effectiveness.

01:57 — The Many Faces of Avoidance.
This section highlights everyday avoidance behaviors—like sugarcoating, vague phrasing, and emotional procrastination—that slowly erode team performance.

03:26 — Why Untouched Conflict Gets Worse.
David explains how avoiding issues fester, leading to resentment, broken trust, and stalled decisions that hold back collective output.

04:19 — The Workplace Fallout of Avoidance.
You’ll hear how bypassed conversations lead to gossip, triangulation, and disengagement, slowing collaboration and diminishing efficiency.

Practical Strategies to Improve Communication and Results

05:00 — Recognizing Avoidance When Managing Up.
David shows how unspoken concerns with your boss hurt influence, visibility, and your ability to contribute to better organizational performance.

05:48 — Avoidance With Direct Reports.
He breaks down how delaying necessary feedback prevents people from growing and weakens the team’s overall performance standards.

06:48 — Avoidance Between Peers.
This segment explores how private frustrations and public agreements undermine trust, undermine authentic collaboration, and reduce collective effectiveness.

08:22 — How to Address Avoidance Productively.
David shares practical language leaders can use to bring clarity and honesty into conversations—without being confrontational.

09:54 — Four Experiments to Break the Cycle.
He offers small weekly practices that make it easier to speak up, clarify expectations, and strengthen the team’s ability to move forward with focus.