How to Deal with Troublemakers

Dealing with troublemakers

Insight from Bethanye McKinney Blount

You ever work with a troublemaker?

You know that guy who decides to rewrite an entire system in his off-hours in a new language without telling anyone else?

The dev who won’t share any of her code while it’s in progress?

Or the person whose interactions with colleagues sends them all to your desk five minutes later?

I certainly have worked those folks before.

I'm sure you have too.

Bethanye McKinney Blount also has.

For the last 20 years, Blount has led technical teams at a range of companies, from tech titan Facebook to Second Life creator Linden Lab to music recording company EMI.

Broadly speaking, tech companies produce a special flavor of troublemaking.

“It’s super common in many companies, but especially among people in tech: we have this idea of what we believe is the one true way to do things — whether it’s how to design, collaborate or ship,” says Blount.

Blount has gathered 3 guiding principles around troublemaking that are less to vindicate troublemakers and more to put their actions into perspective. Here are her three tenets on troublemaking:

1. Your founders are the first troublemakers — don’t make them the last.

   Founders are often the first to shake things up in a company, and that's a good thing. But it's important that they aren't the only ones. If everyone always agrees and does things the same way, a company won't grow or get better.

   Founders should remember that as their company grows, they need to let new ideas in and let the company change. If they don't, the company could get stuck and not be able to handle new challenges.

2. Couch troublemaking in the context of company stage.

   When a startup grows, what counts as troublemaking can change. Early on, certain behaviors might be good because they keep the company lively and quick.
   
   But later, those same behaviors might cause problems. Leaders must understand these changes and not push forward without considering new challenges and opinions. They should think about what these behaviors mean for the company as it evolves, instead of trying to get rid of them.
   

3. Troublemaking is often done unconsciously.

   Most of the time, people who cause trouble at work don't do it on purpose. They're not trying to mess things up for everyone else. Sometimes, people might act out because they're frustrated or feel unheard.
   
   Managers should try to understand what's bothering these troublemakers and help them get better, not just punish them. It's important for managers to support their team members and help them succeed, even when they make mistakes.

Be sure to cut ties when troublemakers become too much. However, some of the best can change the trajectory of your company.