. The Problem with Know-It-Alls by Tom Terez Early in my career, I had a boss whose IQ seemed positively stratospheric. He flew through college, acing courses like Advanced Statistics IV. He taught himself how to play several musical instruments. He wrote computer programs as a hobby. He was the kind of person who had fun fiddling with Rubik's Cube, and according to the office chatter, he could solve it. He also was a teacher, though not in the formal sense. Watching Jim in action, I learned that there's a fine line between intelligence and intellectual arrogance. My crash course began about six months into my job as a junior associate at a management consulting firm. "I'd like you to read this," Jim said, handing me an article titled "Hunters vs. Farmers." "I'm curious whether you think we should be hunters or farmers." Then he walked away. I was a newbie in the work world, eager to please. So I read that article again and again and again. I studied it like a monk studying the Bible. I parsed phrases, searched for themes, struggled to comprehend. And I prayed that my answer would be right. My boss was the head of the small firm -- and by "head," I truly mean the brains. He was a walking strategic plan, customer database, and performance-management system all wrapped up in one. He was also a nice guy -- not the type to go around cracking jokes and giving high-fives, but a friendly sort with a ready smile and kind word. The day came for our conversation about the hunters vs. farmers article. I sat up straight and tried to look like the person with The Right Answer. Jim sat back with assurance and cut to the chase: "So what do you think?" "Well," I began, "the article was very interesting. The examples were fascinating." "Yeah, but what do you think? Should we be hunters or farmers?" The article had described two models for a consulting firm. The hunter firm was made up of independent sorts who pursued clients and projects much like the hunters of the prehistoric age. Each was rewarded according to individual results. The farmer firm was more collaborative, with the consultants working together to plant seeds and slowly but steadily nurture the business. Rewards were a collective proposition. "Both sides have merit," I said, sounding like someone giving testimony to a grand jury. "It's a tough call. But overall, I'd say that the farmer model makes more sense." Jim wasted no time in responding. He sat up in his chair, smiled slightly, engaged his massive brain, and went on to tell me why the hunter model was the right answer. He talked and talked, citing the merits of healthy competition, extolling the virtues of personal initiative, droning on about self-sufficiency. The more he talked, the less I absorbed. All I could hear was my own internal voice, and it was blaring like a car alarm: know-it-all, know-it-all, know-it-all! I waited for his lips to stop moving, then I agreed profusely with everything he had said. "Let's have some more chats like this," he said. "Sounds good," I responded. Yeah, uh-huh. Returning to my cubicle, I resolved never to get suckered into another one-way conversation. I remained friendly with my boss, yet distant. I stopped asking questions and playing the devil's advocate. I did exactly as I was told, to the point of turning off my brain. And ever since, my ears have been extra-sensitive to know-it-alls. I've come to appreciate the sharp difference between taking a stand and closing your mind. Between having an answer and believing that you have the answer. Time and again I've seen how know-it-alls shut down dialogue. People feel that if they take different points of view, their all-knowing colleague will just refill the bellows and emit more verbal air. Good decisions require give-and-take. Know-it-alls just take. If you're dealing with your own know-it-all boss or coworker and feel inclined to hunker down as I did, don't. There are better approaches. At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all myself, let me list a few: Don't be too quick to dismiss the know-it-all's ideas. Even though her single-minded approach can be grating and degrading, she just might have the knowledge or information you're seeking. (Hey, who knows, maybe the hunter model was the right answer!) Make sure you have an ample supply of data when engaging one in conversation. Guesswork, assumptions, estimates, and hunches won't be enough to hold the know-it-all's attention, let alone to convince him of anything. If you're seeking information, frame your questions carefully. Be specific about what you're asking. Otherwise, the person might go off on tangents-intelligent tangents, but tangents nonetheless-which are frustrating and counterproductive. If you're in a group setting with a know-it-all, and you want to get input from participants, go round-robin, with each person given an equal amount of "airtime" to share his or her views. Avoid directly challenging a know-it-all's facts or interpretation of the facts. Instead, try posing a question that can open her thinking. Example of what not to say: "Your data from last quarter can't be right." Better: "What are the sources of that data?" Better still: "What do you think we can do to make sure our quarterly data is accurate and relevant?" Don't question or criticize the person's credentials. Even though you might have good reason to do so -- and it might feel good in the short term--he's likely to get angry, defensive, and even more difficult to work with in the long term. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Terez (TomTerez.com) is an international consultant and frequent speaker on organizational performance (BetterWorkplaceNow.com) and personal excellence (InnerBest.com) Copyright 2002 Crain Communications, Inc. Copyright © 2008 Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-488-9721. Online Contact Form Home | Ideas and Insights | Improvement Tools | White Papers | Reprint Center | Talks, Workshops, Consulting | E-Letters | Contact | For Clients Visit our other sites:...TomTerez.com...InnerBest.com BetterWorkplaceNow.com, Better Workplace Now, TomTerez.com, InnerBest.com, and Inner Best are trademarks of Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc.