Eric Williamson - How to Work with Jerks

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Who among us hasn’t been in conflict with difficult people and wished we had better coping methods
for dealing with it productively and with our sanity intact? Let’s face it, conflict is unavoidable, it is
inevitable. And without a clear strategy for managing it, we inevitably suffer, risk failure on the job and
in our careers. This can cause us to become disengaged and unfulfilled in the workplace and question
our purpose for working for that company. Ultimately, causing us to become jerks ourselves.
Eric addresses these issues head on by providing IT leaders with the strategies to confidently navigate
today’s changing environment by managing conflict and cultivating, stronger, more meaningful
relationships during times of disruption and uncertainty, enabling tech leaders to successfully achieve
their digital transformation goals, deliver more value to the customer, and create an environment where
employees want to stay.

IT leaders will:
• Understand how to diffuse tense situations and mitigate conflict when interacting with their teams,
and especially business and technical leaders
• Employ the AAA Method (Assess, Analyze, & Act) for managing conflict, disarming a jerk, and avoiding
kneejerk reactions under stressful conditions
• Build trust and increase their impact and influence within their teams, board members and with
business and technical leaders so that they can have a seat at the table
• Communicate with clarity within their teams, and with board members, business and technical leaders
• Improve interactions with those having different personalities and values
• Recognize how to spot a jerk and prevent becoming one yourself

Speakers

Eric Williamson

Conflict Resolutions Specialist

Like you, professional development consultant, business author, and keynote speaker Eric Williamson has seen the word success defined in numerous ways. Does it take good grades and education, high IQ scores and standardized tests, climbing up the corporate ladder, playing politics, is it about good timing, is it only meant for a select few? Or is there a different story? With two decades of professional development experience, speaking, and most importantly, real-life, hands on in-the-trenches business experience in both the private and public sectors, his view is inherently different. Eric appreciates, and shares with listeners, that no matter how talented, gifted, or experienced, and no matter what role we serve or title we carry, our level of success is not measured based on the work we produce; it is measured based on the relationships we build. To that end, he works with organizations to build more collaborative and harmonious workplace environments by building stronger customer and workplace relationships. He is often referred to as the “Connector” for his ability to make his message resonate with groups, or as “the Change maker” for his ability to inspire change and improve morale. He provides a unique skillset that brings out the best in people. His empathic, engaging, down to earth style, fusion of real-life stories and his conversational techniques connect with his audience at an intimate, intense, and individual level. Eric is also known for being an expert jerk who turned jerk-expert. He is the author of the book, How to Work with Jerks: Getting Stuff Done with People you Can’t Stand. Whatever you do and wherever you work---jerks are all around you. And without a clear strategy for working with these difficult people, we inevitably suffer and risk failure on the job and in our careers, and risk becoming jerks ourselves. This book offers that strategy and a roadmap for you to build relationships with the people you work with, interact with, and serve. Organizations such as The Society of Information Management (SIM), SANS Institute, Executive Functions Management (EFM), Association of Talent Development (ATD), and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) have partnered with Eric when they want to improve engagement, boost collaboration, and improve morale. The President of the SANS Cybersecurity Leadership Summit recently described Eric’s program as “Outstanding and Engaging.” Eric received national attention in NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS news for his expertise in leadership development stating, “Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the key component of being a successful leader; and is the most important skill that will help you thrive in today’s ever-changing business environment.” He was recently featured in Training Industry, the most trusted source of information on the business of learning, for his insight in helping leaders leverage EQ by employing a three step process that has helped improve human interaction, workplace relationships, employee engagement and customer satisfaction.