New York Lawyer
July 25, 2002

Q:
There�s a guy in our firm who�s very quirky. He dresses a little weird (polka-dotted bow ties, whimsical ties, that sort of thing), has a strange manner (a lot of humming to himself), is interested in off-beat things like ornithology and oceanography. He�s just not your regular Joe.

He is, however, an excellent lawyer -- very smart, meticulous, and a superb writer.

Even the clients like him once they get used to him.

I�ve noticed, however, that there�s a lot of gossip and talk around the firm marginalizing him and disparaging him. People roll their eyes when his name is mentioned, give him a hard time when he�s around. He�s generally an oblivious kind of guy but I think he�s starting to feel conspicuous and unwanted.

I believe this kind of thing is just wrong. Even some of the partners participate. It�s like they�re rejecting him like a virus or an organ transplant because he�s different from everyone else.

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A:
Law firms can be unforgiving environments for "different" people. There�s often a strong compulsion towards conformity -- of appearance, manner and personality -- that stamps out nonconformists.

This is a shame because diversity among the people in a workplace often provides positive energy and renewal.

A parallel is immigration -- one of the reasons for our strong American economy is that we frequently get influxes of energized newcomers from other countries who reinvigorate our economy with new ideas and energy. Rejecting people classed as "other" just because they are different turns away a prime opportunity to add new life to an organization.

I don�t know what kind of influence you have in your firm. As an individual, you can defend the guy when people start in on him, rather than just standing by helplessly. A powerful ally is a huge bulwark for someone who might need a little protection.

You also might want to try coaching him a little, or draft someone who�s sympathetic, to coach him on sanding off a few of the more obvious rough edges so that there�s not so much of a clash.

If you aren�t a firm leader, it would be nice if someone the leadership could become aware of this issue and weigh in. This kind of problem calls out for formal and informal leadership.

The formal approach can consist of drafting policies that address general harassment -- not sexual harassment but the broader type of harassment that your colleague is the object of. Policies have to be backed up with words and actions, however, so that they aren�t empty promises that raise expectations only to dash them. If the quirky guy is promoted, given high-level assignments, and if leaders in the firm make sure to say positive things about him (especially if they observe other people trying to humiliate him), the problem will be mitigated. If they don�t do this, and the "organ rejection" behavior carries on, your firm will lose a valuable member.

Firms need to think about how important social conformity is to their organization. It�s tempting to find comfort in associating with people who are like one another. But a business is not a social affair. It is about providing great service in whatever legitimate way you can. Mulish insistence on one way to look and act adds up to an insulated, inward-looking firm more intent on enforcing social norms than on getting the work done in the best way possible.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work