Why companies should nurture rebels in the workplace
April 12, 2022
Rebels in the workplace? Most companies are not that excited about it. “Missed opportunity”, says Simone van Neerven, the Dutchie who made a career for years in the corporate world – including the airlines KLM and Vueling – and who also recognizes how valuable rebelliousness in the workplace can be in 2022. “Being open to rebellious ideas and visions that challenge the status quo is just as much a form of inclusive management.”
From KLM to Vueling Airlines
After many years working at KLM, Simone van Neerven was offered in 2018 to join the Spanish airline Vueling as Head of Innovation for two years. She decided to take up the challenge, on the condition that she could work as a self-employed person in Barcelona. “I had the best job in the world at KLM, so it probably wouldn’t get any better,” she says with a smile on her face.
“In addition, my rebellious spirit started to play up more and more, which caused friction at times, especially in such a large company. I had created new roles for myself within KLM several times, which was not always welcomed with open arms. Of course, I knew beforehand that with such a role as leading innovation, and as a self-employed person, I would not have a career at Vueling. So I took as much ownership as possible and went my own way, that’s just how innovation works.”
For several years now, she has been guiding companies in innovation and change processes, and at the beginning of this year, she published the booklet ‘Oh no! We have a rebel in our team’, an intentionally ironic title. “A rebellious attitude is usually perceived as rather negative, especially in business. While I have learned in recent years that companies should cherish rebels in the workplace much more. It is also quite funny how many people, after reading my book, let me know that they recognize themselves in what I write.”
Identifying rebellious workers
“Anyone with a rather critical – or even downright rebellious – nature who works in a structured business environment often struggles with this character trait”, says Simone. This often translates into cynicism or sarcasm, causing colleagues to avoid them after a while. “Or worse, that type of employee gets so frustrated over time that they end up with a burnout and drop out completely.”
“Companies should do everything in their power to recognise their rather rebellious workforce as quickly as possible and then respond appropriately. Otherwise, they risk losing very valuable employees in the long run. Put those rebels on large, challenging projects, where they can also expect the necessary resistance”, advises Simone. “Don’t give them complete freedom in this and coach them enough – otherwise they might come up with completely unworldly solutions – but give them enough space to manoeuvre.”
Rebel vs Recalcitrant
The key question in this regard: how do you, as an employer, distinguish the somewhat critical, rebellious employee from the very recalcitrant employee, who just takes pleasure in simply being a nuisance? “Rebels are almost always very driven employees, constantly questioning existing processes and bringing solutions to the table”, answers Simone. “As a manager, it is sometimes very tempting to avoid them, but that’s the one thing you should not do. Always try to have a dialogue with them. After all, companies that want to innovate have much more to gain from critical thinking employees than from followers who never dare to stick their heads above the ground,” says Simone.
“Rebels dare to speak out and go against the grain to contribute to the growth and development of the company. You should start worrying when they go quiet. The chance that they will then have mentally dropped out is quite high. In other words, the fact that people open their mouths is often a sign of enormous involvement,” says Simone. “The crux is to discover why someone can be so concerned about a certain state of affairs. To find out, just talk to those employees and listen.”
Learn to appreciate rebels in your team
When she started working at Vueling, Simone van Neerven built a very diverse team. People of different nationalities and often very different backgrounds. “At the same time, I ended up in a Southern European company, where the work culture is usually a bit more hierarchical than, say, Amsterdam,” says the Dutchie. “So my first months were pretty difficult.”
“If innovation is your core business, you must be open to critical employees with sometimes very different ideas and perspectives. I have learned to appreciate the rebels in my team, but at some point, I had to ask someone to leave because he had a very negative influence on the rest of the team. He was only concerned with himself and his success, and his critical attitude was not focused on the growth of the team and the organisation. For me, that’s the limit: rebels can be critical and difficult, but at all times they should encourage their teammates, be okay with their success, and always keep the well-being of the company in mind.”
“I also learned that it can be very helpful to talk to rebels and give them a broader perspective on the topic. They often show that they are willing to reconsider their opinion, especially because these types of people are usually very curious and driven.”
Safe haven
If we assume that rebels can indeed provide considerable added value – because they do not conform quickly and do not resign themselves to the status quo – how can you best respond to this as a manager? “I have learned to accept that you sometimes create resistance, but that resistance is usually not personal,” says Simone.
“At the same time, I always behave nicely towards everyone, including employees and managers who do not know how to deal with my rebelliousness. It’s just really hard not to like someone who’s always very friendly and constructive (laughs). As far as I am concerned, it is crucial as a manager to create a kind of safe environment in which employees dare to say what they think.”
Especially in times when the pressure to innovate and react very quickly in almost all sectors is increasing, most companies can benefit greatly from a good portion of rebelliousness. Paradoxically, rebels often feel least at home with those companies that need it the most. “In many older, established companies, the entire organisation and corporate culture is geared towards maximum efficiency and slow, very gradual optimisations of existing processes. However, they often need a very thorough reshuffle, in which the entire organisation has to be radically overhauled.”
Inclusiveness
A difficult paradox, therefore, but with her book, Simone hopes to be able to change this somewhat. After all, anyone who recognizes themselves in this booklet – and that turns out to be a surprisingly large number of people – can also give it to their manager or colleagues. In the hope that he or she will be better understood. “Leaders who know how to deal well with rebellious employees can benefit greatly. And if they don’t, there is a real risk that these people will drop out in frustration and eventually leave.”
“Companies today are talking about diversity and inclusivity, but can we open up those buzzwords a bit more broadly?” Simone van Neerven wonders aloud. “Embracing a rebel in your team is just as much a form of inclusive policy. Just as we have to learn to work with colleagues who are different from us, for example, have a very different cultural background, we also have to learn how to work with rebels. Even when those rebels aren’t always so easy to work with, or when they think very differently and ask a lot of tough questions.”
This article has been translated from its original version, which was originally published in Dutch on BLOOVI on April 12, 2022.
Wanna read more ? Then check out this column: “Oh no! We have a rebel in our team”