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How a single person can ruine an entire team's performance
 
Will Felps from the University of New South Wales conducted a fascinating study on the contagious nature of behavior at work. 

Here's what he found:

In the study, teams of 4 students were tasked with solving a management problem in 45 minutes, with the best team promised a $100 reward.

What they didn’t know? Some teams had actors with specific disruptive roles.

One played a "slacker," who didn’t participate and spent time on their phone. Another was a "jerk," making sarcastic comments like “Is this a joke?” And the last was a "pessimist," who acted as if the task was impossible and the group doomed.

Despite the other members being highly talented and motivated, Felps found that having just one of these disruptive actors lowered the team’s performance by a shocking 30-40%!