The art of managing flakes at work

There is a reason why some brilliant employees turn unreliable with time. They are what battle-worn former Loudcloud/Opsware CEO Ben Horowitz calls ‘flakes.’ He hired a seemingly phenomenal and fast-learning programmer who performed miracles initially.

This employee was up to speed in three days, while others took a month. Horowitz was immensely pleased with this ‘super-hire’ and promoted him in three months. Then he learned that the employee had become tardy and was not a team player. The flake could not stomach feedback from co-workers and managers. Later, Horowitz learned this stellar employee was non-compliant with his bipolar medication and was using cocaine.

Flakes tend to be dysfunctional in their familial and social interactions, too. They shy away from taking ownership of tasks. Outwardly, they are super achievers but do not consolidate their wins and build careers. They are not driven by the shared ambition to succeed, be happy in relationships and enjoy a peaceful and meaningful life post-retirement.

They are chaotic and revel in complicating their lives for personal entertainment. They go through the cycle of getting hired and fired. After 40 years of age, these game changers burn out. Beyond that, their careers are doomed. This is the story of at least one smart-bad employee we all know. 

But this flaky person often has enhanced self-awareness. This is why he is considered smart, if not for his obvious talents and skill-set match for the role. It is an enviable quality to have. But he is on a railroad to self-destruction. His logic is skewed. 

‘Normal’ people often fail to understand why someone would sabotage their own lives and careers. But the flake rationalises differently. He argues that his difference is what gives his life meaning. What can be greater than that—finding the meaning of life? He delights in the presumption that he is somehow special and different from the ordinary flock. It is good to be ‘special’, isn't it?

How do you deal with an intelligent, intuitive, yet unreliable employee? Most CEOs say— “give him enough rope to hang himself.” That way, the CEO does not take the blame. The minority who understand the real value of the flake tries hard to counsel him and reconcile with his defects patiently. They seek to focus on his strengths, not setbacks. When that does not work, the sympathiser lets him go. 

Managing flakes can be exasperating. It consumes a lot of the manager’s time. Retaining him could prove disastrous when the company is firefighting. While there are several instances where flakes have been exited, there are far fewer cases where they have been retained--hoping for a turnaround. Give the odd guy a chance… maybe a second one, too?