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Lars Dalgaard is CEO and cofounder of SuccessFactors, one of the world’s fastest-growing software companies—and the fastest with revenues over $30 million. Dalgaard recently listed some milestones that his California-based company passed in its first seven years:
- the use of its software by more than two million employees at over 1,200 companies around the world
- the use of its software by employees speaking 18 languages in 156 countries
- growth three times that of the company’s nearest competitor
- enthusiastic recommendations of the product by nearly all customers
- dramatically low employee turnover
- employing no jerks
Employees aren’t expected to be perfect, but when they lose their cool or belittle colleagues, inadvertently or not, they are expected to repent. As Dalgaard suggests, there is a business case against tolerating nasty and demeaning people. Companies that put up with jerks not only can have more difficulty recruiting and retaining the best and brightest talent but are also prone to higher client churn, damaged reputations, and diminished investor confidence. Innovation and creativity may suffer, and cooperation could be impaired, both within and outside the organization—no small matter in an increasingly networked world.
The workplace jerk definition I use is this: do people feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, or belittled after talking to an alleged jerk? In particular, do they feel worse about themselves? I’ve listed 12 common ways workplace jerks do their dirty work; 
Nasty interactions have a far bigger impact on the mood of people who experience them than positive interactions do.
At the workplaces that enforce the no-jerks rule most vehemently and effectively, an employee’s performance and treatment of others aren’t seen as separate things. Jerks are dealt with immediately: they quickly realize (or are told) that they have blown it, apologize, reflect on their nastiness, ask for forgiveness, and work to change their ways. Repeat offenders aren’t ignored or forgiven again and again—they change or depart.
Five intertwined practices are useful for enforcing the no-jerks rule.
- Make the rule public by what you say and, especially, do
- Weave the rule into hiring and firing policies
- Teach people how to fight
- Apply the rule to customers and clients too
- Manage the little moments. People must treat the person in front of them, right now, in the right way, and they must feel safe to point out when their peers and superiors blow it.
The most important single principle for building a workplace free of jerks, or to avoid acting like one yourself, is to view being a jerk as a kind of contagious disease. Once disdain, anger, and contempt are ignited, they spread like wildfire. A swarm of jerks creates a civility vacuum, sucking the warmth and kindness out of everyone who enters and replacing them with coldness and contempt.
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I have always believed that the fastest path to the future is found through increasing velocity of change. I also believe increasing velocity of change is best accomplished by slowing down. By nature, being a CEO is a forward-looking endeavor. But what if I told you most CEOs are looking in the wrong direction? What if the fastest path to the future is found looking backward and not forward?
I was recently asked, what would I do differently as a leader if I could turn back time? Over the years, I have learned that brutal honesty regarding self-reflection is the key to unlocking better performance in the future.
However, most CEOs left to their own devices will often pursue the wrong path to the future. The truth of the matter is that change always begins with a harsh critique of the past and the present. The best CEOs live in this world—they are purpose driven and not ego driven. They know that it’s not about who’s right, but what’s right. They understand that beating their competition to the future is directly tied to their personal, professional, organizational and global levels of awareness. Intellectual acuity is nice, but intellectual honesty is essential.
So, when I was asked the question, what would I do differently? the following is how I answered:
- I’d surrender faster and replace myself sooner.
- I’d control less and influence more.
- I’d spend more time as student and less time as teacher.
- I’d develop talent earlier and faster.
- I’d free people from boxes, not place them in boxes.
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The changing business environment and the growing presence of new generations in the workplace offers challenges for management. But to compete in the global, 24/7 business culture of today, there are certain avenues to explore:
- Revise feedback mechanisms
Look at introducing more informal, frequent meetings that encourage real-time, substantive recommendations in favor of annual reviews that are so often skewed towards recent work and goals that aren’t communicated effectively. - Create opportunities for constant skill-building and continuous learning
Young workers love a challenge. Constant learning was a feature of the tech they grew up with and they see no reason to stop learning just because they land a job. At the other end of the scale, employers must look at reskilling their older employers, retraining them in new areas and offering them new opportunities to consider. - Think about the physical working space
Alter the organization’s space to encourage increased communication and collaboration. When senior management is separated by walls, it’s easy for them to be out of touch. - Introduce more flexible working
Managers of the future should recognize that it’s more cost effective and efficient to allow employees to work where and when they like. This new flexibility has a number of advantages for workers and employers alike; such as happier, rested and more motivated staff, reduced office overheads and increased productivity. Recruiting and retaining talent also becomes much easier, as individuals are attracted to roles that allow more flexible working arrangements. - Focus on the development of soft skills
Future success will mean more focus on ‘working learners,’ employees who have the desire and ability to adapt quickly and who have mastered the ‘soft skills’ such as emotional intelligence, flexibility, creativity and persuasion. There should be less emphasis on hard, technical skills when hiring. - Encourage exercise to positively impact physical wellbeing
Employees of all ages should be encouraged to look after their physical wellbeing. Whether that’s by bringing in early morning yoga sessions, introducing free fruit in the office or setting up a lunchtime running club, it’s important that employees have a healthy body and mind to cope with the constant demands of the workplace.
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A fun read.
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