Page 41 - Twenty Four Lessons for Mastering Your New Role

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By enabling cynics to unleash their stinging jibes in private,
they’ll be less prone to disrupt staff meetings. Better yet, others will
not follow a cynic’s lead if they’re not exposed to the troublemaker’s
scathing outbursts.
Rookie managers sometimes stamp someone as a cynic and then
disregard that person’s views. Ignoring cynics doesn’t make them go
away.
Also avoid labels. If you view Jim as “Mr. Sarcasm” and refer to
him that way behind his back, he may find out, and his attitude
might worsen. Nip cynicism in the bud by asking perpetrators to cut
back on their biting commentary. Meet with them one-on-one and
confront the issue head-on.
To tame cynics:
Remove obstacles so their jobs become easier: If they have a valid
point, act on it. Fix a bottleneck in the system that addresses their
grievance. Reward their constructive proposals with a quick response
to prove that cynicism doesn’t pay.
Let critics stage experiments: Empower cynics to take matters into
their own hands—within reason. Allow them to make conditional
changes as they see fit. Give them limited authority and track the results
together. Let them exert power and they’ll have less to complain about.

Demand evidence: Cynics tend to make harsh comments without
offering support. By asking, “What facts do you have to support
that?,” you can expose the shaky foundation of their argument. And
if they do present a cogent case, help them see how they can enact
change by wooing allies rather than adopting an attack mode.

“When it comes to people and their quirks, idio-
syncracies, and personality flaws, the variety
seems to be limitless. The manager’s aim
remains the same: to keep these human beings
from clogging up the workings of their group.”
—Andrew S. Grove

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