A neighbourhood cat has been leaving unwelcome deposits on our porch with impressive (and elusive) regularity. You can’t let things like this bother you: dealing with crap is part of what it means to be alive. You can take action to make it less likely that the cat will visit again, and put systems in place that enable you to deal with “crap arising” more efficiently.
This will also be true in your organisation: for better or worse, dealing with (interpersonal) crap is part of what it means to work with people. Learn to recognise the it, call it out and catch it early wherever possible. Clearly articulate what is and isn’t acceptable and why, pointing to your core values and vision and to what is generally reasonable and decent. If you feel uncomfortable raising an issue it’s a pretty good sign that you need to find a way to handle it sooner rather than later.
And when you do find yourself with spade in hand, cleaning up the mess, remember that cleaning up crap is one of the privileges of ownership.
See Also:
Seth Godin on difficult conversations (really good)
Friction (2): emotional friction
Conflicting values
Eyes. Sawdust. Planks.
The Problem Vs Your Feelings About the Problem