Don't Be the Jerk

(...and don't keep jerks around.)

Seth Godin pointed out in a recent post that many teams have a jerk - that guy who knows his stuff and he knows he knows his stuff and wants everybody else to know that he knows his stuff and so he's kind of a jerk.

Don't keep jerks around. It kills teamwork and team morale. It hurts decision making and progress and achieving goals. It even subtly undermines the leadership. Like Godin said in his post:

Deep technical competency is overrated compared with the ability to make excellent decisions and to create a culture where forward motion is valued and personal initiative is rewarded.

In almost every situation, there are other people who "know their stuff" too. There are plenty of people who are knowledgeable (or can put in some work to get there. Seldom is knowledge the irreplaceable part of the contribution to a team.

For those in leadership positions, this is a healthy reminder of the value of team chemistry. For those in teamwork-oriented positions, maybe you could study up and become the new "guy who really knows his stuff."

Just be that guy with better personality.

Technorati tags: teamwork, jerk, smarty pants