Digital Dealer - November 2017 - 5

morale, momentum and
results at risk because
they don't have either the
skills or the guts to do
their job and hold the jerk
accountable.

FIVE TENDENCIES
OF MANAGEMENT
JERKS:
1. They privately and

publicly criticize, yell, demean and/or disrespect
others. This behavior
may also include off-color language, or getting
personal.
2. Even when not
engaging in egregious
language like that in Point
1, management jerks
tend to talk down to people. They are often short,
sarcastic, and dismissive, and act as though
everyone else is stupid or
clueless.
3. They rarely give
positive reinforcement.
On the occasions when
they do commend someone for doing a good job,
they tend to balance it out
with something the person did wrong, or must
do better. "Joe, you did a
nice job with that customer...but it doesn't make
up for failing to make the
last three deals."
4. Management jerks
tend to be narcissistic
in nature, and project
a superior attitude that
creates resentment and
resistance in others.
Those working for them
work hard out of fear, not
as a result of engagement or commitment.
5. Management jerks

are prone to self-destruct
over time. They wear
out their welcome by
abusing customers and
employees, disrespecting
other leaders, toxifying
the culture, and more. Of
course, in their mind it's
never "their fault."

FIVE-STEP REMEDY
FOR MANAGING MANAGEMENT JERKS:
1. Redefine, in writing,

behaviors that are no
longer acceptable and
outline what you expect

consequences for continued errant behaviors.
There is no one-size-fitsall consequence in this
instance since there are
such varying degrees of
possible wrong behavior.
Thus, point out potential
consequences depending
upon the offense.
3. Give immediate
positive feedback on improved behavior. Whenever you're trying to influence behavioral changes,
you'll need to reinforce

...IF SOMEONE
WANTS TO LEAVE
YOUR ORGANIZATION
BECAUSE YOU EXPECT
THEM TO LIVE VALUES
THEY'RE UNWILLING TO
LIVE, LET THEM GO."
instead. Frankly, if you
want great job performance you must define it
and should have done so
long ago. Be specific and
give examples. Eliminate
all loopholes and gray
areas. Also make certain
you explicitly explain
to them the costs of
their continued behavior: damage to morale,
momentum, production,
culture, brand, credibility,
increased turnover and
more. It's important they
see the big picture, and
don't just believe you're
nit-picking over "little"
quirks in their personality.
2. Discuss possible

it more often, and faster
than in the past. Here's
why: behaviors that are
reinforced and rewarded
are behaviors that get
repeated. But remember,
the longer you wait to
reinforce a behavior the
less impact it has.
4. Secure help:
resources, a course,
a coach, and the like
to help equip the manager with better tools
and more awareness to
manage more effectively.
When we ask someone
to improve behaviors or
results, it's essential that
we resource those changes with tools and training.

5. Understand that you
cannot change another
human being in this regard. THEY must decide
to change, and make the
change. If after all the
above steps are unsuccessful, demote, transfer,
or remove the person.
Demoting or transferring
should involve moving
the person into a position
where they are humbled and are no longer
in a capacity to abuse
people-if such a slot
is available-otherwise
you should remove him
or her. While the upfront costs of losing and
replacing a manager can
be high, the price you pay
for keeping a management jerk is staggering
in the long term. Bottom
line: if someone wants to
leave your organization
because you expect them
to live values they're unwilling to live, let them go.
It's kind of like the trash
taking itself out.
DAVE ANDERSON is
President of LearnToLead,
which provides in-person
and virtual training to
many of the world's best
dealerships. Dave speaks to
dealer groups over 125 times
each year and has given
seminars in 15 countries.
He's written the leadership
column for Dealer Magazine
for the past 15 years. Dave's
13th book, "It's Not Rocket
Science: 4 Simple Strategies
for Mastering the Art of
Execution" is now available
worldwide. For leadership
tips follow Dave on Twitter @
DaveAnderson100. EMAIL:
dave@learntolead.com

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

NOVEMBER 2017

http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - November 2017