On the internet, a TROLL is someone who baits an innocent into a war of words in a discussion forum. The object of the argument is not truth or knowledge, but a "slice and dice" victory at any cost, and Trolls love to play this game for hours. (Google:"What is a Troll?" for more information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll)

Now, I have heard "Troll" behavior called "sport", "spoiling for a fight", "jerking someone's chain", "gotcha", "bullying"  and a couple of more vulgar expressions.  Every time the innocent  gives the troll the benefit of the doubt ("Maybe they -really- want to know the answer to that question."),  the Troll slaps their knee and says "I can't believe they fell for it again."

Managers need to know that troll behaviour does not occur only in cyberspace. Many times, those "core teams" whose meetings never end, are tricked into ploughing the same ground again and again by a troll in their midst. As a leader, you need to be able to spot and squelch a troll - or they will destroy the morale and productivity of your team.

No weight of argument will forcibly write 'truth' on a human mind. One must, in effect,  press the mental  "total" key and draw a conclusion. Trolls delight in sowing and exploiting uncertainty in others, and will either mirror that uncertainty or become dogmatic and definite as the game advances.

My advice? Learn to "call the question" once evidence has been presented and debated. Learn to adjudicate. Learn to choose. Be willing to accept a few small mistakes. It is the price of leadership.

Oh, and Don't feed the trolls!