Member-only story
Once, in probably about late 2010, I was referred to by a co-worker as a “brilliant jerk.” (The actual word may have been asshole.) Let’s break this down for a second: I’m not brilliant, so already we’re off to a bad start here from a logistical and linguistic standpoint. I can be a jerk — and definitely can be an asshole — although I try not to do those things on a moment-to-moment basis (the operative word there is try). I didn’t pay it much mind at the time; people say stuff to other people at work that makes no sense and is totally devoid of context basically all the time. (For example, pretty much anything with an acronym.) In the intervening years, I’ve thought about it more: maybe I am a jerk. Maybe I am brilliant? (HA! I jest.) But I do find the ways that workplaces come together to be extremely interesting: a group of different people, theoretically aligned to the same goal, but with their own lives outside of the confines of the office, and … how does it ever work properly?
I came across the brilliant jerk again, though.
Here’s a good, and long, article entitled “This is why people leave your company.” There are many notable points in it, including all the way at the bottom a list of “Seven Rules of Talent Retention.” There are maybe a couple of flaws with the article — it’s very pro-HR, which I think is good but would probably turn off a lot of…
