ENTERPRISE54 – Yes, it’s a devilish title. But read this before sanctifying whatever you’re reading from with holy water.
We want saints as employees. We want people with upstanding qualities who are well driven, and are, at least, proficient in Microsoft Word. Those with all the blahs that have become standard with CVs from here to Singapore and everything in between that inspire nothing but yawns. People who are diligent and do their work well, never tipping the cart or upsetting anything.

But progress belongs to businesses that have a balance of saints and devils. You need the ones with the alternate point of views, the ones who punch the holes, the why askers, the ones who will annoy you to the highest heaven (or hell), the ones who upset the boardroom and make you rethink your product or strategy.

When we say, “devil,” we don’t mean the ones that wear negative energies like cologne. Life is too short to be working with party killer. The devil is the radical; the one that’s strange to your company’s mould, the one everyone contends is not a perfect fit. The one that isn’t afraid to speak when others fret and has superior facts to support their stance.

They may not be likeable. They will be annoying.

But you need them as much as you need the saints.

Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on Kwirkly, a creative agency that helps startups, SMEs and growing businesses promote their products and services.