By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady
Bob Brady’s recent column on whether to have a “No jerks!” rule banning antagonistic empoyees brought intriguing responses. One reader expects “a little jerkiness” in everyone, and another invokes the “C.A.V.E.” rule. Here’s a sampling:
“C.A.V.E. People and Loyal Oppositionists”
“We’ve coined the phrase ‘C.A.V.E. people’ [standing for] Citizens Against Virtually Everything. They are in every organization at the lowest and highest levels. They hurt the organization and, probably, many fit the “jerk” category or other two-word adjective. Organizations should get rid of them in the best, honorable, and legal way—they are a contagious illness for the environment.
“However, one has to be careful not to confuse them with what we call the “loyal oppositionists”—who sometimes seem on the surface to be the same as the C.A.V.E. people. The difference? The loyal oppositionists want your organization to improve and they almost always will have helpful suggestions, and they are often willing to be part of that solution (but not always). They just aren’t complaining. They actually help by challenging the status quo and pushing the organization to deal with things it doesn’t want to deal with.
“So, yes, jerks should go—but be careful not to confuse them with your loyal oppositionists.”
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“Eventually everyone is so miserable”
“I enjoyed reading your take on the so-called ‘No Jerk’ rule. I agree that if no one is challenged with new ideas and concepts in the workplace and everyone is ‘too nice,’ then progress is usually limited.
“Sometimes jerks can be a good short-term fix, but eventually everyone is so miserable (especially HR with all of the complaints) that the workplace can be extremely tense and people leave, even your high performing ‘nice’ co-workers.”
“I expect a little ‘jerkiness’ in everyone”
“I agree with your point,‘insularity can masquerade as civility,’ and think the bigger problem is the increase of thin-skinned, hypersensitive employees. I fault irrational inclusion and sensitivity initiatives. This is a larger social issue as children are taught that they don’t have to compete (everybody wins). In business, the problem is perpetuated by well-intentioned but misguided HR professionals backed by risk-averse employment attorneys.
“I see work as teams of people that must partner together to achieve success. Partnerships cannot easily survive unless the partners can communicate openly and honestly. Certainly there are overly abrasive and jerky people working, and this is a problem that any savvy manager should address as an individual performance problem. For me, the more difficult challenge is dealing with passivity and hypersensitivity—this is a bigger problem in most organizations today. We are becoming a nation of wimps.”
“My experience is to provide conflict and negotiation training and include some performance principles that require employees to accept criticism and participate in discussions where conflict exists. I guess I expect a little ‘jerkiness’ in everyone, and think this is a good thing if managed well.”
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Worked for Jerks
“I have worked for a couple of ‘jerks.’ I can’t tell you how many times I have left work in tears or angry at the treatment I received at the hands of these people. But it had a two-fold effect on me—work hard to keep out of the way of the jerk or work hard to try to please them. Only in one instance did their behavior influence my decision to search for greener pastures—but that reason was coupled with my dissatisfaction in the work I was doing.”
“Eliminate the Problem”
“I whole-heartedly endorse [the no jerks policy]! As a former employee and now employer, I understand both sides. I run a small business, and there’s no room for jerks. From experience, you know who they are and you know they’ll do something to you. You just don’t know what. Inevitably, it happens, and you waste time thinking about it and stewing about it instead of being productive. Better to not have them there in the first place and eliminate the potential problem.”
Thank you, readers, for taking the time to respond. You can still add your thoughts by using the Share Your Comments button below.
I am baffled as to why being a jerk is so freely accommodated. Jerk qualities are not a requisite to a team or an organization being able to make decisions and move forward as frequently implied. Powerfully positive people can move an organization forward—without any the fallout/casulaties of a toxic jerk.