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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTHE GUY YOU FIRE
(Found elsewhere)
THE GUY YOU FIRE
Theres a guy at the office where you work. Hes the same guy whos been in every office where youve worked. Youll know the one I mean.
Hes that guy whos the loudest in every meeting, and is full of opinions about the best way to do things. Hes constantly promoting his own ideas and putting down the suggestions of others. Hes critical of those in charge, and loves to go on about how hed do so much better than they ever will.
Yet youve noticed, over the time hes been around, that hes never actually accomplished anything of substance. No idea of his ever had any meaningful detail or plan attached; and, when given something to actually do, this guy bungled it, and someone else had to step in.
He cannot execute. Despite his resume, despite his claims, he has no real skill or experience.
You dont promote that guy.
Hes the guy you fire.
Okay, so he bungles things. Dont we all, from time to time? Who among us hasnt overlooked an important detail, missed an essential cue, lost track of the schedule? It happens to the best, right?
When that happens, we offer a mea culpa, to signal to those around us that we own our mistake, and to reassure them that it wont happen again.
But not this guy. In all the time hes worked here, hes never admitted a mistake. Hes never taken responsibility for a single failure and there have been many.
You dont put that guy in charge of anything.
Hes the guy you fire.
Instead of accountability, he offers an endless trove of excuses. He has one for every occasion. There are a million reasons why his efforts came to nothing, but they serve only as a bulwark to deflect attention from his own incompetence.
His pals chime in and bolster his excuses. But that, of course, only makes things worse: you dont make excuses for a guy like that.
Hes the guy you fire.
The most heinous of his excuses for his failures is the blaming of others passing off responsibility for his incompetence on those who are far more capable than he. In doing so, he takes his initial mistakes and multiplies them, not only failing his own agenda but weakening those of others, by diverting them into squandering time defending themselves from unjustified insinuations.
His pals, seeing how well this works, begin to emulate him. But you dont aspire to be like that guy.
Hes the guy you fire.
And he has another trick you've seen him do it over and over. Not only does he excel at reassigning credit for his own poor performance to others he's equally adept, if not more, at taking credit for their bona fide accomplishments. He can convince an uncomfortable percentage of those around him not only that he isnt responsible for what has gone wrong, but that he alone is responsible for all that goes right.
And that uncomfortable percentage, despite all evidence, buys into it. Even if some part of them realizes its smoke and mirrors, they want that magic that he obviously possesses. So they stick close to him, and openly admire him.
But hes not a guy you want to be anywhere near. You dont watch that guys sleight-of-hand and then decide to admire him.
Hes the guy you fire.
The irresponsibility and excuses, blaming others and taking false credit should be enough to get any employee shown the door, and if hes getting away with all of that, youd think hed rest on his laurels and not get any worse. But he does.
He doesnt leave it at that. He goes the extra mile, not just heaping blame for his own weaknesses on others, but magnifying the damage by openly putting them down. He serves up ridicule and scorn, even for those in charge, eroding not only institutional confidence in their abilities, but in their character. He has disdain for everyone and praise for no one.
You dont give that guy praise in turn; it only emboldens him.
Hes the guy you fire.
Theres a guy at the office where you work. Youve known him for years, watched him, been wary of him. Hes all of the above, lacking in every single feature of cooperative success: he has no competence, no scruples, no empathy, no character, no moral compass, no self-restraint.
Worst of all: his successes in his shady, self-promoting games have empowered him as a master manipulator, shaping events all around him, whether his touch is apparent or not. His success in drawing attention to himself, and winning the fawning loyalty of those who cant or wont examine his performance too deeply, have left him with a level of control over the companys future that is not only unwarranted but deeply disturbing: his need to control has resulted in a perverse variation of the Peter Principle, and he is hovering too close to the steering wheel. If he gets his hands on it, nothing but chaos will result.
But hes not a guy who should ever be in charge of anything; a man like him shouldnt be entrusted running a McDonalds, let alone the company that provides your livelihood. Youd never put your life, or the lives of your family, in his hands. No company would ever put such a man in charge.
Hes the guy you fire
rampartc
(5,271 posts)Clash City Rocker
(3,379 posts)Perseus
(4,341 posts)This applies to both, the creature in the Oval Office today, and GW Bush.
BSdetect
(8,989 posts)FakeNoose
(32,356 posts)... and that's why he'll never be fired.
It's a great essay though.
Bettie
(15,998 posts)but, he'll never be fired, not in today's world.
They'll fire anyone who speaks up, who dares to point out that the emperor is actually unclothed.
Aviation Pro
(12,053 posts)Be the guys and gals that fire him on Nov. 3, 2020 and be the Marshals that physically remove him from his white cubicle on Jan. 20, 2021.
Ilsa
(61,676 posts)No tough negotiations, just making the big splash to get the customers' attention. You can't count on him to close a deal beneficial to his own firm, either. He might make side deals, take kickbacks, etc, at your expense. His work requires audit.
Narcissists have some talents, but you don't want them in charge of anything.