By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
The Brutal Truth About Teams
Every business owner and entrepreneur loves to repeat the comforting phrase: “Our employees are our greatest asset.” It sounds noble, it looks good on a LinkedIn post, and it gets polite nods at conferences.
But here’s the reality no one wants to say out loud: in 80% of cases, this is a lie — or at best, a half-truth.
📊 Fact check: According to CB Insights, the number one reason startups fail — cited by 38% — is running out of cash. Not bad products. Not bad markets. Cash. And where does the cash go? Payroll. Salaries and wages account for 70% or more of business expenses in most companies. Which means the very people who are supposed to be “assets” can just as easily become your biggest liabilities.
Most entrepreneurs are confusing lemons with lemonade — and keeping gross liabilities disguised as “assets” on their payroll. They aren’t building teams; they’re financing inefficiency. And the quiet killers of cash flow? The incompetent, the uncommitted, the lazy, the unreliable, the flimsy, and the non-performers.
They don’t just drain money — they drain time, morale, and momentum. They burn through payroll like toddlers drinking juice boxes, then still demand “work-life balance” while producing little actual work. They arrive with excuses, leave with complaints, and in between, suck the life out of your business one payslip at a time.
And here’s the kicker: if you don’t confront this head-on — if you don’t have a Mr. James O. McKinsey moment where you declare “Shape Up or Ship Out” — then your business isn’t headed for growth. It’s headed for the trash bin of mediocrity and eventually, bankruptcy court.
So here’s the lineup — A through F. Read carefully. Recognize who’s who. And if you don’t act? Don’t bother blaming the economy, the market, or bad luck. The termites eating your company alive are already on your payroll.
This is not an HR pep talk. This is survival.
1. The A Team – The Builders
These are the ones who carry the company on their backs.
- They treat deadlines like promises carved in stone. Missing one is unthinkable. If they say “Tuesday,” you can set your watch by it.
- Reality check: In most businesses, 20% of the team does 80% of the work. The A Team is that 20%.
- Real-life example: A client sends an emergency request at 10 PM. While others are asleep, the A Team finds a way to solve it, send the deliverable, and surprise the client before morning. They don’t call with family drama, they don’t wait for permission — they deliver.
- They are resourceful, relentless, and they make excuses look like a foreign language. These are the people who take pride in the quality of their work — almost personal pride, like signing their name on it.
- They also have a hunger for knowledge and self-improvement and mastery. They constantly sharpen skills, learn new tools on their own, and raise their game without waiting for anyone to tell them.
👉 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 100:1. Nearly everything they do is signal (results), not noise.
2. The B Team – The Dependables
Not brilliant, not terrible. They get things done — eventually.
- They’ll handle assigned work, but rarely push beyond the checklist. If you give them 5 tasks, they’ll do 4 and have a good excuse for the 5th.
- They rely on A Team energy to set the pace. Without leadership, they drift.
- Real-life example: They’ll submit a report on time, but it might have errors the A Team quietly fixes before it goes to the client. They’ll show up to meetings, but rarely contribute more than, “I agree.”
- When personal or family issues come up, work is the first to suffer. Sick child, car broke down, dog ate the WiFi — there’s always something. They don’t abuse excuses, but they never fully rise above them either.
- They don’t usually make mistakes big enough to fire them, but not breakthroughs strong enough to promote them.
- They don’t learn new skills on their own. They wait to be told everything and instructed. They are extremely passive.
👉 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 60:40. Enough signal to stay useful, but a lot of noise when it counts most.
3. The C Team – The Coasters
These are the coffee-and-complaint crowd.
- Their productivity peaks right after their first coffee — then slowly declines into chatter and excuses.
- Gossip, distractions, and endless “status updates” eat more time than actual work. They love to talk about problems, but rarely solve them.
- Real-life example: A client calls asking for urgent figures. Instead of sending the file, they explain all the “reasons” why it’s delayed: “My laptop was slow,” “I had to pick up my cousin from the airport,” or “the internet was patchy.” By the time they’re done explaining, the opportunity is gone.
- They confuse being present with being productive. A blinking green light on Slack isn’t output. They lack confidence in their own work, so they hide behind busyness.
- Constant family and personal problems spill into the job: they’re late because of childcare, absent because of “doctor’s appointments,” or distracted by drama. The truth is, they don’t take ownership — their personal life owns them.
- They don’t learn new skills on their own. They wait to be told everything and instructed. They are extremely passive. They talk work-life balance — but theirs is more balanced than producing actual work.
👉 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 30:70. More noise than signal, and dangerous if tolerated.
4. The D Team – The Drainers
These are not assets; they’re liabilities.
- They perfect the art of looking busy while producing nothing. They create work for others instead of doing their own.
- They drain resources, energy, and morale. Colleagues dread seeing their name on a project list.
- Real-life example: They miss deadlines constantly, always with a story. “The babysitter canceled,” “My cousin’s wedding ran late,” “The electricity went out.” These excuses are rehearsed so well, they sound like a second job.
- They never innovate, never take ownership, and always have an excuse ready before the question is even asked. Pride in work? Zero. They pass tasks like hot potatoes.
- Confidence is absent — they’d rather blame others than stand by their work. When challenged, they deflect: “That wasn’t clear,” or “Nobody told me.”
- They don’t learn new skills on their own. They wait to be told everything and instructed. They are extremely passive. They take zero initiative and offer no real contributions to the company.
👉 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 10:90. Almost all noise, barely any real contribution.
5. The F Team – The Failures
This isn’t really a team. It’s a warning sign.
- They create problems faster than they solve them. When they show up, disaster follows.
- Instead of protecting the business, they put it at risk — uploading files to the wrong platforms, mishandling clients, or making careless mistakes that cost money and reputation.
- Real-life example: They send confidential client information to the wrong email, then shrug. They forget critical deadlines and blame it on “family emergencies.” They’re absent more days than they’re present. Every week, there’s a new reason why they “couldn’t focus” — divorce, rent issues, sick relatives.
- They don’t just fail quietly — they fail loudly, leaving scars for others to clean up. They have no confidence, no ownership, and no pride in their work. They survive only because leaders haven’t had the courage to cut them loose.
- They don’t learn new skills on their own. They wait to be told everything and instructed. They are extremely passive. They talk work-life balance, but more balanced than producing actual work. They take zero initiative and offer no real contributions to the company.
👉 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 1:99. Pure noise. Keeping them around is corporate suicide.
The Truth for Business Owners
- The A Team builds your legacy. Their results drown out every excuse.
- The B Team keeps the lights on. Useful, but rarely game-changing.
- The C Team tests your patience. Excuses > Execution.
- The D Team bleeds your resources. They cost you more than they deliver.
- The F Team puts you on the path to bankruptcy. If you keep them, you’re choosing failure.
👉 Employees who recognize themselves in the C, D, or F categories should feel uncomfortable — because the shoe fits. Either they change, or they leave.
How Leaders Can Spot & Reward A Players
- Spot them: A players don’t just complete tasks — they own outcomes. Look for people who fix problems without being asked, learn new skills on their own, and take pride in their work as if the company were their own. They don’t just show up; they raise the standard for everyone else. They also have a visible hunger for knowledge and self-improvement and mastery. They seek feedback, they push boundaries, and they are always looking for ways to level up.
- Reward them: Give them the toughest assignments, because they’ll deliver. Publicly recognize their wins so others see the difference. Provide them with opportunities for growth — advanced training, leadership roles, or direct involvement in high-stakes projects. And compensate them fairly: nothing drives away A players faster than watching B, C, or D players get the same rewards for half the effort.
👉 Rule of thumb: Protect your A players, or someone else will hire them.
Author: John S. Morlu II, CPA is the CEO and Chief Strategist of JS Morlu, leads a globally recognized public accounting and management consultancy firm. Under his visionary leadership, JS Morlu has become a pioneer in developing cutting-edge technologies across B2B, B2C, P2P, and B2G verticals. The firm’s groundbreaking innovations include AI-powered reconciliation software (ReckSoft.com) and advanced cloud accounting solutions (FinovatePro.com), setting new industry standards for efficiency, accuracy, and technological excellence.