I didn't oppose your project.
You favored cutting my staff in half and removing funding for it.
You are trying to muddy the water with separate issues. You have never once heard me oppose the actual project.
But you also failed to distribute the supporting back-up material to the decision makers.
That was a regrettable oversight. Once again you are dodging the question. Have I ever made any statement opposing the project? You know the answer. Never. In fact, I'm a little insulted by your insinuation.
And you gave me the wrong time and meeting room when I was supposed to make my pitch to upper management. Why did you do that?
I was really busy that day. Haven't you ever made a mistake?
You favored cutting my staff in half and removing funding for it.
You are trying to muddy the water with separate issues. You have never once heard me oppose the actual project.
But you also failed to distribute the supporting back-up material to the decision makers.
That was a regrettable oversight. Once again you are dodging the question. Have I ever made any statement opposing the project? You know the answer. Never. In fact, I'm a little insulted by your insinuation.
And you gave me the wrong time and meeting room when I was supposed to make my pitch to upper management. Why did you do that?
I was really busy that day. Haven't you ever made a mistake?
Your mistakes always seem to go against me.
Gee, that sounds a little paranoid. Look, I am as much in favor of the goals of your project as you are. I've often said that I favor them. You see, we want the same goals.
The same goals?
Yes, we are simply divided on the methods.
The same goals?
Yes, we are simply divided on the methods.
Chilling.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of some of the case-study exchanges in Snakes In Suits (When Psychopaths Go To Work) by Babiak & Hare.
The incidence of psychopathy and sociopathy in the population as a whole is circa 1.5% for each condition. Apparently, the incidence at management level is considerably higher. Indeed Hare developed the B-Scan 360, which is a tool specifically designed to identify psychopathy in noon-criminal environments.
Rowan,
ReplyDelete"Chilling." That's a very good way to describe these people. Fortunately, there is often a point when you realize, "Ah, this is not a normal person who plays by the rules."
Michael,
ReplyDeleteNIce piece on this in Management Issues today: http://www.management-issues.com/2007/4/23/opinion/psychopaths-sycophants.asp
The commenting should be interesting.
Rowan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. I'll check it out.
Michael