#33 Don't Tolerate Brilliant Jerks

Brilliant Jerks. We’ve all come across one or two.

Brilliant Jerks. We’ve all come across one or two. They’re the folks who are high-performers. Often, but not always, with a long tenure and a large wealth of legacy knowledge. Their behaviour, often being super-sassy, moody or arrogant know-it-alls, can have negative consequences for the team and the organization as a whole. They’re the go-to person for nearly any problem in their space (and, occasionally, others) but they make you work for their help and they know they’re good.

In this newsletter, we’ll explore why you shouldn't tolerate those boneheads and discuss some strategies for addressing and managing this type of behavior.

First, a definition of a "brilliant jerk." These are individuals who are highly intelligent, skilled and knowledgeable, but also exhibit disrespectful or disruptive behavior. This can include things like belittling or being condescending to colleagues, ignoring rules, protocols or processes (often they put them in place, so know the workarounds) and generally causing problems within the team or organization. While these individuals may be high performers in terms of their technical skills, their behavior can have negative consequences for the team and the organization.

Any of that sound familiar? Perhaps not to that extreme, but jerks come in different shapes, sizes, flavours and ages. You may get jerky behaviour only some of the time, or maybe they’re smart enough to hide it from management, or cover the tracks by blaming others.

So, why shouldn't you tolerate brilliant jerks in the workplace? Many reasons!

• Negative impact on team morale: Brilliant jerks can have a huge negative impact the well being of their team, or department. Their disrespectful or disruptive behavior can create a toxic work environment and make it difficult for other team members to feel comfortable or valued. Colleagues will often go to them as a last resort, fearing the response they’ll get. As the “last resort” this empowers jerks as they feel like the only person who can solve an issues. This can lead to increased turnover as people get fed up with it and leave and decreased productivity.

• Negative impact on company culture: They can also have a negative impact on company culture. A company's culture is the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape the way employees work and interact with one another (the good ones). By tolerating brilliant jerks, you may be sending the message that this type of behavior is acceptable, which can erode the company's culture and values. This leads to the emergence of brilliant jerklings. No one wants those.

• Negative impact on business performance: Jerky disruptive or disrespectful behavior can lead to conflicts within the team, walls being erected, trust being eroded. This can result in decreased productivity and efficiency as people avoid the only person who might be able to help and the jerk takes his time to “teach them a lesson”. This can ultimately have a negative impact on the organization's bottom line.

• Damage to the company's reputation: Jerks can also damage your company's reputation. If their behavior becomes known to the public or to potential clients, or they know you tolerate this kind of behaviour, it can lead to a negative perception of the company as a whole, this tars your other employees with the same brush. This can be especially damaging in industries where reputation is of the utmost importance, such as in the legal or consulting fields.

• Legal consequences: In some cases, the behavior of jerks may even lead to legal consequences for the organization. For example, if an employee is subjected to harassment or discrimination, the company may be held liable.

But how do you deal with jerks? First step is tackle the problem head-on:

• Clearly communicate expectations: The first step in addressing bad behavior is to clearly communicate your expectations for behavior in the workplace (if you aren’t already). This should include a code of conduct or set of values that outline the behaviors that are expected and those that are not acceptable (start with 1. Don’t be a jerk). By clearly communicating your expectations of employee behaviour, you can help employees understand what is expected of them and hold them accountable for their behavior. It’s sad that we have to explain to adults how to behave in the workplace, but, there you go.

• Provide feedback and coaching: If you’ve got a brilliant jerk, it is important to provide feedback on their behaviour, and coaching to help them understand the impact of their actions on their colleagues and how they can do better. This, however, is really hard, awkward and sets the hairs on the back of my next a-quiver. Coaching should include one-on-one conversations, training, or courses. By providing feedback and coaching, you can help employees understand the impact of their behavior and help them change their for the better. It’s going to be hard, but necessary conversation to have.

• If you must use disciplinary action, use it as a last resort: If your jerk continues to jerk despite feedback and coaching, disciplinary action may be necessary. Start with verbal and written warnings, use examples and DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Explain that without sorting out their behaviour, termination might be an option. Only use this nuclear option if the other options fail.

• Foster a positive work environment: Much like point one, to prevent jerk behavior from occurring in the first place, it is important to foster a positive work environment. You should be promoting open communication, encouraging collaboration (especially if you’re in any way remote), and recognizing and rewarding positive behavior. By fostering a positive work environment, you can create a culture where disrespectful or disruptive behavior is not tolerated and is directly called out.

You absolutely must not tolerate jerky behaviour from anyone, especially those in a position of power, influence or if they’ve been hoarding knowledge. Letting someone go is always an option if nothing else works. Replacing the jerk is much easier than replacing your entire team, or trying to fix a spoiled morale.

“One bad apple spoil the whole damn bunch” - Axl Rose

Remember, "brilliant jerks" will have a negative impact on the workplace, and it’s important for organizations to take steps to address the behaviour and the people exhibiting it. By establishing clear expectations for employee behavior and having a system in place for addressing inappropriate behavior, organizations can create a positive and productive work environment for all employees.