The Help Desk: the Science behind navigating human relationships at work

The Star Performer is a Jerk

One of my direct reports is a star performer when it comes to meeting sales targets but is not at all a team player. This causes tensions on the team, and I am not sure what I should do.

While star performers might boost team results in the short term, if this comes at the cost of eroding your team’s overall engagement and culture, it can have disastrous long-term consequences. As Jack Welch, theformer Chairman and CEO of General Electric, observed, “CEOs can talk and blab all day about culture. But everyone knows who the jerks are.”

As the team’s leader, what you do makes a statement about the behavior you’re willing to accept. Addressing this starts with a difficult conversation: providing your star some tough feedback about how their behavior is received, and the impact this has on others. He or she might need help or development opportunities (for example, coaching or mentoring) to learn new ways of interacting. If nothing works, the impact of a few toxic individuals can drag down an entire business. Either find a more suitable role for this person or part ways.

You’re the ‘diversity hire’

I’ve been appointed to a senior management role, and as a woman (in a male-dominated industry), I have been told by two new colleagues that I was a “diversity hire”. This is really upsetting, what should I do?

The good news is that organizations are acknowledging their role in entrenching systemic bias and inequity and discovering the benefits of a diverse workforce. Comments like “you’re a diversity hire” can be micro-aggressions that imply that diversity and merit could never go hand-in-hand.

Such situations can only be addressed when organizations challenge their biased notions of merit and build a culture of inclusion. The onus is on your hiring manager to communicate why you are the best person for this role, and how others are to treat you. They might emphasize the culminated values of your skills and life experience, as well as how you reflect a broader group of partners, clients and stakeholders. Senior leaders with strong reputations can help to sing your praises.

You could try to educate your colleagues directly about your experience, and the harmful impact of this statement. In addition, finding and using ongoing support systems can help build your resilience through camaraderie. Finally secure some quick wins to gain credibility. However, watch out, minorities often work so hard to “prove” their worth that it results in burnout.