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Of the many types of characters in the workplace, Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel\u2019s least favorite is the know-it-all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSomebody who thinks they know the answer to absolutely everything,\u201d the CEO of the Amazon-owned grocery chain told CNBC Make It<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> \u201cSomebody who thinks that it has to be exactly like this because this has always happened before. It\u2019s always going to happen this way.\u201d<\/p>\n Why? Because believing that you always know best will not only stifle your own personal growth but also the business\u2019s. <\/p>\n But he\u2019s not always been the most receptive to new ideas and ways of working himself.<\/p>\n \u201cI sometimes could have been that person in my past, on certain things,\u201d Buechel, who took Whole Foods helm in September 2022, said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI learned the hard way that you have to be flexible, especially in today\u2019s world,\u201d the 48-year-old added. \u201cOur customers\u2019 demands are changing all the time, things are always changing the business.\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps unsurprisingly then, the organic supermarket chain chief said he \u201cgravitates\u201d towards solutions-oriented workers who like \u201cto solve things that help the organization, help our stakeholders [and] our team members.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, I\u2019m a problem solver. That\u2019s what I love and get excited about,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n Of course, know-it-alls mostly mean well. After seeing what works (and what doesn\u2019t) over time, it\u2019s only natural to want to share that expertise rather than watch your employer flounder.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s why career experts tell Fortune<\/em> that being knowledgeable isn\u2019t the issue\u2014it\u2019s often the manner in which ideas are communicated that can cause problems.<\/p>\n John Lees, the former chief of the Institute of Employment Consultants, has authored 15 books on careers. He advises imparting knowledge with as much caution as you would if you were bragging about yourself.<\/p>\n \u201cTone and brevity matters,\u201d Lees says, adding that it\u2019s better to start a contribution with \u201cThis might be helpful\u2019 than \u2018The answer is\u2019.<\/p>\n In the end, he highlights that your knowledge in an area \u201ccan easily point to someone else\u2019s lack of,\u201d which is why it can be taken offensively. <\/p>\n Avoid accidentally criticizing others by starting input with: \u201cAs I\u2019m sure you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think your wisdom irritates, save it for a few key moments where your contribution will make a difference,\u201d Lees concludes. \u201cHaving an opinion on everything is a sure way to ensure you\u2019re never heard.\u201d<\/p>\n Una Doyle, a business strategist and impact coach for SMEs at Creative Flow, echoed that there are three elements to whether feedback is taken as helpful instead of annoying: timing, relevancy, and approach.<\/p>\n \u201cFirstly, either schedule a time to speak about it or pick a time where they seem to be in a good mood,\u201d Doyle says. \u201cSecondly, focus on what\u2019s in it for them and lead with that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFinally, ensure that you\u2019re calm and centered and notice their response to your feedback,\u201d she adds. \u201cMost people don\u2019t like feedback, even when it\u2019s constructive, so be kind and, if you can, coach them to the same realization you\u2019ve had instead of just telling them how you see it.\u201d<\/p>\n Other career experts told Fortune<\/em> that managers are probably to blame if they have know-it-alls on their team.<\/p>\n \u201cNormally, it\u2019s when people are trying to establish themselves as a dominant force in the office, there is normally an underlying reason,\u201d warns Tim Mart, careers coach and founder of the employee coaching and training provider Know You More.<\/p>\n For one, he says, it could be a sign of imposter syndrome, which results in people wanting to prove their worth to their peers or higher-ups.<\/p>\n \u201cSo rather than come down on them, it\u2019s worth having a discussion about why they might be offering out advice when it\u2019s unsolicited,\u201d Mart adds. \u201cThey might also just have a lot of good ideas that they are not communicating in the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n His advice to managers is to learn where this behavior is coming from before offering feedback on how they could better present their ideas.<\/p>\n \u201cThis employee clearly has a lot of knowledge, so find ways to utilize it,\u201d Mart concludes. \u201cHelping people work to their strengths is a win-win situation, both for the employer and the employer.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat to do if you\u2019re a know-it-all<\/h2>\n
How to manage know-it-alls<\/h2>\n