This is part 2 of an on-going series about managing ‘difficult’, but valuable staff (i.e. ‘mavericks’) in a technology-intensive businesses.
Classically, mavericks ignore standard procedures when it suits them and are impatient with the diplomacy needed to garner support from corporate power centers. For these reasons, they’re often disliked. Paradoxically, they may also be admired for their originality and anti-authoritarianism, though these qualities are potentially disruptive to the business since an entire organization behaving without regard to corporate norms results in chaos.
To the extent that originality coincides with nonconformist attitudes, an ambitious business should seek to channel a maverick’s creativity while blunting their potential to distract the organization. Line managers are an important, but under-appreciated element in establishing this equipoise. The organization minimally needs to be aware of the challenges maverick’s present and provide training to their managers about assessing a maverick’s actual worth to the organization and determining how much effort should be expended to keep them productive – or keep them at all.
To exploit a maverick’s talents, their manager needs to fit a square peg into a round hole. The manager will have to explain the nonconformist to the organization and vice versa – though the maverick frankly may not care to understand the organization. Despite this, the manager should seek to teach business savvy to the maverick, what rules must be followed, where power resides and how to conform, at least nominally, to behavioral norms. Having a manager who is a good listener while also setting boundaries is important – it’s a bit like parenting. Particularly, the manager should coach the maverick about effectively developing their ideas within the confines of the business.
The manager also must mitigate the perception that the organization lets mavericks break rules that everyone else must follow. Concerns about favoritism will obviously erode team camaraderie. Certainly, there is justification for many business rules including keeping the feds off your back, the CEO out of jail and ensuring process consistency, predictability and scalability. Nonetheless, every organization has ineffective processes and mavericks may reveal processes that stymie progress for everyone, not just themselves. The line manager benefits the organization by escalating the nonconformist’s experience. This can improve a flawed aspect of performance across the organization.
I write modern fantasy novels that are hopefully both exciting and literate. These novels include an on-going series about a near-immortal magician who grew up in Camelot and grew famous in San Francisco's 'Summer of Love'. He's still having adventures to this day described in The Lords of the Summer Season, The Lords of Powder, and The Lords of Oblivion. The books can be read in any order.
As author S Alessandro Martinez has stated about the series:
"Lords of Oblivion
A 1500-year-old wizard. A pair of savage druids raised from the dead. Modern day San Francisco. A wolf that takes no gruff. Blaisdell creates a fascinating world in this magical realism novel with smart writing, complex characters, and clever use of history and mythology. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I look forward to more of Bradan and Tintagel's mystical adventures.
Lords of Powder
Merlin's former apprentice, Bradan, is back! The 1500-year-old wizard, who is sometimes too smart for his own good, returns for another exciting adventure, this time in 70s Miami as he takes on the criminal world of drug trafficking. Blaisdell's smart, fast-paced writing and use of fascinating history and mythology keeps you on the edge of your seat as Bradan uses his wits, charm, and illusions to navigate the modern era and get himself into plenty of trouble.
Lords of the Summer Season
Being Merlin's former apprentice and living for 1500 years is bound to make you a few enemies. Travel back to the 60s with Bradan the wizard and his otherworldly wolf Tintagel. As Bradan juggles careers as a professor and musician, he must defend himself from his greatest threat yet: a literal god. Blaisdell continues with his clever, skillful, and imaginative writing that will keep readers eagerly turning the next page. My favorite of the Bradan books, Blaisdell dives deeper into the Arthur mythology, and brings the reader even more elements of magic and folklore, all the while weaving an entertaining tale of gods, wizards, ghosts, and 60s acid rock. Thoroughly enjoyable!"
Besides the literary side of my life, my background includes membership on a scientific advisory board for a non-profit professional organization promoting the biomedical and digital health business community in the greater Los Angeles area.
I’ve authored both basic research publications and business management articles focusing on the bio/pharma industry. My Ph.D. is in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota where I also conducted post-doctoral research in microbiology. And my BS is from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) with a double major in chemistry and cell biology.
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Managing Research in Technology Firms 