How to Deal With a Shiny Asshole at Work
At some point in your career, you’ll probably have to deal with a brilliant jerk at work. Brilliant jerks are everywhere, they are praised by the management, and the life of everyone else turns into hell. Sometimes management acknowledges and even approves of their general convulsions, while other times their toxicity goes unnoticed by the people at the top, but not by those who work directly with them.
If you are one of those who work with a genius jerk, it can be extremely difficult to deal with him, especially if you are unable to change anything. However, there are certain strategies you can use to mitigate or eliminate toxicity.
Remember that sharpness can be subjective.
Some people are clearly toxic. Other times, their status as a jerk can be a little more subjective. I guess we’ve all been jerks in our lives. It’s important to consider different personalities and styles in your assessment of what’s going on.
“Is it just because we see the world differently, or do we have a different approach to our work, or are there elements in their style that are legitimately disruptive?” said Eric Pliner, author of Difficult Decisions and CEO of YSC Consulting. “Each dynamic is created mutually.”
It doesn’t mean that your actions are somehow causing the toxic behavior, or that we can somehow get the jerk to stop their behavior. However, context does play a role, and if the jerk’s behavior isn’t controlled, things probably won’t get better any time soon.
What leaders can do with genius jerks
If you have the ability to do something, it’s important to consider the impact of the jerk’s behavior on the work environment. No matter how productive the jerks are, there is a good chance that their overall impact on the company will be detrimental. If they are productive but make their co-workers less productive—or even push them away from the organization—they really aren’t that productive, are they?
“When you think about the emotional and psychological impact on other people, it can actually reduce the productivity of the rest of the team even more than this person contributes,” Pliner said. “It’s also important to consider the impact of their negativity on system performance, especially on other people.”
The environment also plays a big role in both encouraging and preventing toxic behavior. “If you, as a leader, have created an environment where people feel confident talking about discomfort, injustice, or unethical behavior, then that behavior usually won’t continue,” Pliner said. “If people don’t feel comfortable speaking openly, and this behavior goes on and on, then there is something in the environment and those who created it that contributes to this too.”
What can we do about jerks at work
Most of us are unable to make any major changes to our work environment. However, there are still some strategies to survive and maybe even improve things a bit.
One way to deal with a toxic colleague is to purposefully look for colleagues who will make your life better. “One of the ways jerks can act is to make us feel isolated,” Pliner said.
The more you can surround yourself with positive and encouraging people, the less alone you will feel. “It’s much easier to succeed in a system when you tune in to the positive rather than just reacting, responding, or avoiding the negative,” Pliner said. These colleagues can also help you understand the situation and find possible solutions.
Second, think about what actions can help make a difference, such as reporting it to higher management. This comes with the risk of retaliation, so it’s important to tread carefully.
Pliner advises that if you’re going to go to higher management about being exposed to a toxic colleague, it helps frame your concerns as a request for help, such as describing the impact of the behavior on your own work, rather than as a complaint about the other person.
Most importantly, it’s time to get rid of the erroneous idea that if a person is brilliant, then this somehow entitles him to be a jerk. “You just don’t have to be a jerk to be brilliant,” Pliner said. “Exalt the examples of brilliant and kind people.”