Why you should set your grudges free, when hiring a ‘genius’ is the wrong call, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

Set your grudges free: Over the years, our growing collection of personal and professional gripes — from minor grievances to major deceptions — will weigh us down. Such anger prevents us from fully seeing others’ perspectives and it may raise the risk of chronic disease later in life. So, for everyone’s benefit, it’s time to loosen our grip on such feelings, The New York Times’ Tim Herrera writes. To start, we should get some distance from the situation and remind ourselves of the good we have in our lives. ? Here’s what people are saying.

When hiring a ‘genius’ is the wrong call: Hiring talented jerks simply isn’t worth it, actress, producer, and writer Amy Poehler recently said at an Indeed conference in Austin. Such employees may be excellent performers, but the toxicity they bring to their environment can cancel out any good they offer. Also, geniuses are rare and hard to spot, leading many of us to confuse terrible behavior for a sign of talent, Poehler notes. And as more industries prioritise group work, great performance often comes from the combined efforts of a functional team. ? Here’s what people are saying.

You Asked: “What are the main signs telling you to search for the next job? How do you reassure yourself you are making the right decision leaving your current job and working environment?” — Imela Mato, New York-based project manager

• “Don’t wait for a sign that it’s time to find the next job. Look when you’ve stopped learning. Work should add to your career capital via the opportunity to learn and expand your capacity. Approach each new job as a tour of duty during which you can learn certain skills. Your aim could be to practice a technical competency like project managing the rollout of a new ecommerce system or to develop a soft skill by managing a virtual team across multiple regions or countries. It’s hard to leave when nothing is wrong at your job, but that’s often the best time to consider something new. In an era of disruption, globalisation and increasing longevity, your career will far surpass the 12-year average lifespan of an S&P 500 company. A strong network and working to learn are your true safety net.” — Diana Wu David, founder and CEO of Sarana Capital and author of “Future Proof: Reinventing Work in the Age of Acceleration”
• “The biggest sign is that you dread going to work. Your job has flat-lined. You feel your work is not respected, or it’s monotonous. It feels futile. It’s demotivating to do the same thing again and again. The truth is that when I talk to workers who are unhappy in their jobs the underlying issue is that they are bored. They don't identify it as that, but that’s the issue. Just saying ‘take this job and shove it’ is probably not the best approach to battling your boredom or pent-up frustration. You can renew your working life by getting involved with special projects, mentoring, meeting new people, asking for new responsibilities, and adding skills, training, and education. Start by doing one small thing that matters. When you move in small, incremental ways, you will have a fighting chance of getting your changes approved and set in motion. Truth is, sometimes all it takes to right your ship is that one special tweak.” — Kerry Hannon, author of “Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness” (Read Kerry Hannon’s full response.)

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

Keeping office conflict from going nuclear: Employees who  are slighted by co-workers are more likely to embrace “eye for an eye” than “turning the other cheek,” according to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. We are more likely to retaliate against our offenders at an equal, or even greater, level of harm, the researchers found. That’s how small conflicts can escalate into big ones. One takeaway? Managers inclined to let coworkers work out their differences are better off intervening at square one to avoid a snowballing effect. ? Here’s what people are saying.  

The great workplace AC divide: Women perform better on math and verbal tasks in higher temperature settings — while the opposite is true for men, according to research from the University of Southern California and WZB Germany. The increase in performance for women in high temperatures was “significantly larger” than the decrease in the men’s performance, leading the researchers to conclude that “gender-mixed workplaces may be able to increase productivity by setting the thermostat higher than current standards.” Companies might also consider offering a mix of different climate settings throughout an office. ? Here’s what people are saying.

One last idea:  Being the “only” or “the first” in professional settings — whether it’s related to our gender, age, race or any other form of identity — can be a lonely, even discouraging, affair. That’s why FleishmanHillard partner Emily Graham says it’s critical that we remain our most loyal advocates and cheerleaders. ? Here’s what people are saying.

“Being my own biggest fan — that's something that I've had to learn. I don't have to apologise for my hair. I don't have to apologise for the way I look. I can show up and be me. It's not my problem if someone doesn't get that. I had to learn that that's okay; that I deserve to be here.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Scott Olster