How do you feel about your team members or colleagues having “side gigs”?

Our reader poll today asks: How do you feel about your team members or colleagues having “side gigs”?

• I’m totally fine with it as long as it doesn’t impact their day to day work performance 72.19%
• I don’t like it but I’ll tolerate it as long as it doesn’t impact performance 21.80%
• I’m strongly against it — all their focus should be on their primary job 6.01%

Focus on core job performance. The vast majority (72%) of leaders don’t have a problem with team members having a side gig with the stipulation that it doesn’t impact performance of their primary job. Seems like a reasonable ask on their part. But recognize that 27% of leaders don’t like team members having side gigs. Most (22%) will tolerate it but have concerns about performance and a small percentage are strongly against it. Recognize that if you work for one of these individuals and want to have a side gig, explicit permission and clear boundaries are strongly recommended (e.g., no side-gig calls during normal working hours, etc.). If you have team members who pursue side gigs, be clear with them about boundaries and expectations. Monitor performance and if it starts to slip or boundaries get crossed, intervene and have that conversation early. It’s an ugly situation if you let issues fester and eventually that person finds that their side gig becomes their primary gig either because you have to end their employment or you frustrate them so much that they decide to leave.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.