Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The Critics


Bill Cosby once said that he didn't know the secret of success but he knew the secret of failure: Trying to please everybody.

Hang around the workplace long enough and you'll find that even the most innocuous comment or behavior can spark criticism. There are people who, as Zig Ziglar noted, search for insult as if there's a reward for it. Others just search for something to criticize.

Over the years, I've seen people zinged because they:
  • Hired the best qualified applicant.


  • Acted to prevent illegal discrimination.


  • Elicited strong loyalty from their team.


  • Had not lost any court cases.


  • Trained staff members who were then promoted.


  • Wore conservative suits.


  • Wore flashy suits.


  • Were too efficient.


  • Used PowerPoint.


  • Didn't use PowerPoint.


  • Sent staff members to professional conferences.


  • Had an accent.


  • Were "too punctual."


  • Were humorous.


  • Said "y'all."


  • Had "too much" job experience.


  • Fended off political interference.


  • Were kind.


  • Were eloquent.


  • Were courteous.


  • Liked rodeo.


  • Liked country and western music.


  • Liked classical music.


  • Were veterans.


  • Had long hair.

If these appear to be irrational biases - and let me assure you that given the context they were irrational - that is beside the point. Critics don't require rationality; they just require a target.

One of my favorite training memories is of an evaluation from a workshop I conducted. A participant wrote that the class was substantive and well-presented and "people seemed to like it" but she didn't care for my tie. [The tie in question was a very conservative red one.] There was not a trace of humor in the rest of the evaluation so I assume she was serious.

I think of Bill Cosby every time I recall that tie.

2 comments:

Eclecticity said...

Outstanding Michael! DF

Michael Wade said...

Thanks! It would have been better if I'd worn a tie while writing it.