A group of people under my supervision worked together very well; however, some members of the team were starting to make mumbling remarks about one team member who had a growing problem with body odor. They all liked this person and enjoyed working with her, but the problem was becoming more pronounced as the weather warmed and I knew I had to do something about it before it became an even bigger problem. Because she was a very open and outgoing person, I didn’t want to pull her aside and embarrass her by telling her that her odor was affecting the other workers and they were starting to not want to work next to her. Instead, I chose to start a conversation with another team member next to her about perfumes and deodorants, knowing she would probably join in the conversation. As we talked, more people joined in the conversation as they worked. After a few minutes, it came out in the conversation that she was allergic to deodorants and had been trying to use lemon juice as an odor eliminator on her underarms. When she learned it wasn’t working quite like she hoped, she was very willing to try other things as long as everyone was willing to work with her. She tried several of our suggestions and, after a few days of the team members giving her their thoughts on her trials, she discovered one that worked well for her. I was very relieved that we found a way to resolve the problem in a way that allowed her to keep her dignity and also let the entire team be part of the solution. The results of this could have been disastrous for both her and the team but, instead, it made the team more cohesive and raised everyone’s morale. I will admit I got lucky on this because she may never have found anything to work without having to go to a doctor first or she may not have had such a good attitude about it but, it did work and it turned out to be a very positive experience for all of us.
