Here are some tips on how to work with your mavericks.

Engage them. Draw out their ideas, listen to their questions, and provide them with the information they need to fully understand initiatives rather than brushing them off, says Jody Berns, managing director of business systems at HSBC USA Inc., a New York-based financial services firm. "Good technology people do question what they're told, because a mistake can cost millions of dollars," she says. "You want people who question things. As management, we have to embrace that."

Berns has some personal insight into maverick behavior. She remembers a meeting early in her career where she peppered the CIO with so many questions that he later asked her boss whether she was a team player. "I realized my intentions were misinterpreted," she says. "The reason I was questioning these things is I had a passion for doing what I do, and if that's misinterpreted, then I had to change my communication."

Coach them. Help mavericks learn to navigate office politics and present ideas in ways that are appropriate for the company's culture. After the CIO's wake-up call, Berns' supervisor taught her to be a more effective communicator -- to listen better and bounce ideas off her boss or close co-workers before presenting her thoughts to large groups.

Enlist peers. Ask a colleague to do some peer mentoring. "You want somebody who is a little senior in the organization who has an open mind," says Schroth of Executive Insights. Peers can provide a range of help, from information on projects and company expectations to tips on focusing the maverick's energies and controlling his impulses -- even if that means finding passions outside the company. Schroth knew one tech worker at a major pharmaceutical company who took up classical guitar and became a comedian on the side as a way to channel his excess energies.