It starts in grade school.

Depending on the school, or the class, kids notice who is doing well in class, and who isn’t.  The first negative comment  might come from the biggest boy, or the girl with the blondest hair…it makes no difference or reason.  But there it is—the kids pick on those other kids who try, and who do well.  If you are lucky (as a parent or a student), the cool kids are also the kids with the best grades.  If you are not so lucky, they just make fun of you for working hard, or doing extra credit, or getting good grades.  Some kids, as luck would have it, can face this down and continue to live up to their potential.  Others don’t.

TIVO ahead and now those kids who believed being cool was all that mattered, are your co-workers.  Or, even better, they work for you.

What can you do about the young worker who is too cool for his own good?  Do you ignore him?  Hope he grows out of it?  Lecture him, what?

Being fond of lists, I think there are five things you can do:

1. Call him on it. Often, this is baked into their ‘work philosophy’ and they equate the world of work with the world of school. It isn’t. Work rewards those who do, not those who act cool. Share that.

2. Offer up mentors. The too-cool workers are all about their friends and co-workers. However, chances are good, you have someone in your company who is doing great work, and is considered ‘cool.’ That person will be a great person to mentor your Ferris-wannabe.

3. Don’t reward or tolerate “politiking up.” The too-cool worker is like Eddie Haskins, but in this case the bosses see through it. If his politiking up earns him more rewards than the performers get, you have some culture work to do.

4. Find some common ground and tell stories. Does he like sports? Think Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett got there by being cool? Technology? How about Bill Gates? Do you think Tony Hawk got to be the best by hanging around the shop or by practicing?

5. Praise every simple sign of potential. The too-cool worker has some very real skills, particularly in social settings. Let him know that you have observed some powerful potential in him, but that he should consider re-directing it slightly. He can do more with the talents he has developed.