The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2025 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.
The team interviews Eric Williamson, one of the keynote speakers, and author of How to Work with Jerks and co-author of When Work Works. Eric joined the KYSHRM Conference to help HR leaders mitigate workplace friction and help organizations prevent people from becoming a jerk in the first place. He stressed that while people often point fingers at others, we must be self-reflective because everyone has been the jerk at some point. Eric recommends practicing “the art of recognition”, by centering on emotional self-awareness and tuning into what your body and the situation are signaling. A tip is to leave the ego at the door and constantly solicit feedback from employees and colleagues, doing a “pulse check” early and often, rather than waiting for formal reviews. Leaders should consider approaching difficult relationships with curiosity, asking how things could be done differently, instead of judgment.
Eric’s mission is deeply personal, stemming from his experience as an “expert jerk who turned jerk expert” after both working for a boss who embarrassed him and realizing his own arrogance toward his mentor nearly cost him his job. Talented people quit because they couldn’t figure out how to manage difficult relationships, emphasizing the need to look internally for better outcomes. The ultimate tool for navigating conflict, according to Eric, is vulnerability. Removing the guard that makes you appear inadequate gives others confidence and shows them it is okay to not have all the answers. Keeping with the theme of difficult relationship management, Eric left the following question for the next guest: “What’s one small action you’ll take to build a relationship with someone you don’t like?“
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Eric Williamson, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!