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(2000). The bully at work: what you can do to stop the hurt and reclaim your dignity on the job.
"Groupthink is George Orwell's term from 19841, the dark futuristic novel. Psychologists borrowed the term to describe a group incapable of critically assessing the pros and cons of a decision. Because the group members feel so tightly connected, so cohesive, they prefer to see only one side of an issue. They are easily led by a forceful leader and busy themselves by falling in line behind the boss and kissing up to stay in good favor. They become a mindless, overprotective clique when assembled as a group, putting the political goal of squashing dissent above all other matters."2
- 1. (1949). 1984.
- 2. According to the Wikipedia entry on groupthink, it wasn't Orwell, but rather William H. Whyte, Jr., who coined the term, as he writes in 1952:
"Groupthink being a coinage — and, admittedly, a loaded one — a working definition is in order. We are not talking about mere instinctive conformity — it is, after all, a perennial failing of mankind. What we are talking about is a rationalized conformity — an open, articulate philosophy which holds that group values are not only expedient but right and good as well."
Wikipedia: groupthink
(2000). Claw Your Way to the Top: How to Become the Head of a Major Corporation in Roughly a Week.
"So the trick, with subordinates, is to keep them happy, productive, hopeful, and—above all—subordinate." (p. 36)
(2000). The Cluetrain Manifesto : The End of Business As Usual.
"Conversations are where intellectual capital gets generated. But business environments based on command-and-control are usually characterized by intimidation, coercion, and threats of reprisal. In contrast, genuine conversation flourishes only in an atmosphere of free and open exchange." (p. 15)
(2000). Digital Capital : Harnessing the Power of Business Webs.
"Corruption thrives in a culture of secrecy." (p. 182)
(2000). Emotional Intelligence at Work.
"What is so curious about setbacks is that they undermine motivation, yet it is precisely motivation that is needed to overcome the setback." (p. 104)
(2000). Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success.
"Why are people so hesitant to change? I believe that some, like Audubon, believe they are supposed to pursue a particular course of action for some reason—even though it doesn't suit their gifts and talents. And when they are not working in areas of strength, they do poorly." (p. 91)
(2000). Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything.
"Our idea of boredom—ennui, tedium, monotony, lassitude, mental doldrums—has been a modern invention. The word boredom barely existed even a century ago." (p. 270)
(2000). The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense at Work.
"The majority of illnesses and disorders that develop in the workplace have emotional stress and their direct or indirect cause." (p. 125)
(2000). Imagine : what America could be in the 21st century : visions of a better future from leading American thinkers.
"People want it all. They feel, quite understandably, that is is their birthright. They want the fast life of converging technology, global roaming, rising opportunities, adrenaline-pumping challenges, and life at Web speed—and they want to spend time with their families and friends, meditate, keep fit, relax, and play. It's not about work/life balance; it's about the complete integration of work and life, a holistic, seamless fit between these two and every other aspect of life. The new-story leader encourages employees to engage their creative juices while they are walking along a beach, or to shop for groceries online while they are at work and not be self-conscious—indeed, to be unaware of the difference. Life is whole, not seperated into two solitudes called 'work' and 'life'. " (p. 129)
(2000). Life Strategies : Doing What Works, Doing What Matters.
"Remember, I said earlier the number-one need in all people is acceptance. The number-one fear in all people is rejection." (p. 100)
(2000). Managing Up! : 59 Ways to Build a Career-Advancing Relationship with Your Boss.
"It's obvious that you do bring elements of your true self to the job environment, though some bring more than others. But you aren't and can't be completely be your true self at work." (p. 73)
(2000). Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences.
"Information technology operates through a series of displacements, from action to representation, from the politics of conflict to the invisible politics of forms and bureaucracy. Decades ago, Max Weber wrote of the iron cage of bureaucracy. Modern humans, he posited, are constrained at every juncture from true freedom of action by a set of rules of our own making. Some of these rules are formal, most are not. Information infrastructure adds another level of depth to the iron cage. In its layers, and in its complex interdependencies, it is a gossamer web with iron at its core." (p. 320)
(2000). Stalking the Soul.
"Abuse of power has always existed but today it is often disguised. Executives talk about autonomy and initiative but still demand submissiveness and obedience. Employees march to their company's drummer because they are haunted by management's bottom line, the threat of unemployment, and the constant reminder of their responsibility and therefore possible blame." (p. 68)
(2000). The Virtue of Prosperity : finding values in an age of techno-affluence.
"We think of leisure as 'not working', but in the economic literature is more precisely defined as 'doing what you want to do.' Rich people frequently find their jobs challenging and interesting, and so they would prefer to put in overtime at the office rather than sit at a beach sipping margaritas. If you're a welder or a longshoreman, sitting on a beach seems like a wonderful respite from the grime and ardor of your everyday existence; but if you're a scientist or an inventor pursuing a new discovery, an entrepreneur building a new business, an acclaimed singer or athlete, or a successful author completing a magnum opus, lounging on the sand in the middle of nowhere can seem like an awful waste of time." (p. 82)
(2000). Work Rage: Identify the Problems, Implement the Solutions.
"Ocassionally, I encounter and organization that really does practice what it preaches, or 'walks the talk'. But I can say with great certainty that the companies that really do a lot of talking and walking are few and far between. There is a lot of talking but very little walking out there in the big wide world of management.
The potential for rage in these controlling organizations is going to be higher, and for several reasons. When you have a mentoring, coaching, and collaborative management style, employees tend more toward higher productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness, and there is a happier workplace atmosphere. Conversely, when there is a domineering, controlling, or even bullying environment, the employees feel threatened, are less productive, feel highly stressed and are unhappy." (p. 53)
The potential for rage in these controlling organizations is going to be higher, and for several reasons. When you have a mentoring, coaching, and collaborative management style, employees tend more toward higher productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness, and there is a happier workplace atmosphere. Conversely, when there is a domineering, controlling, or even bullying environment, the employees feel threatened, are less productive, feel highly stressed and are unhappy." (p. 53)
(2000). Working with Emotional Intelligence.
"There is a politics of empathy: Those with little power are typically expected to sense the feelings of those who hold power, while those in power feel less obligation to be sensitive in return. In other words, the studied lack of empathy is a way power-holders can tacitly assert their authority." (p. 144)
(2000). Patient number one: a true story of how one CEO took on cancer and big business in the fight of his life.
328. Abstract
"There is always an uneasy truce between scientists and salesmen. Scientists want their product to be absolutely perfect before allowing it to be sold; salesmen want to get it out the door where it can start generating income as soon as possible. On occasion the truce is broken, usually over budgetary and resource issues." (p. 78)
(2001). 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People.
"If you see your work as only a job, then it's dragging you away from what you really want to be doing. If you see it as a calling, then it is no longer a toiling sacrifice. Instead, it becomes an expression of you, a part of you." (p. 98)
(2001). The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook: A Step-by-Step Program for Curing Yourself of Extreme Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobias.
"lt has been my repeated experience that clients experience relief from anxiety as well as phobias when they come to feel that their life has meaning, purpose, and a sense of direction. Until you discover something larger than self-gratification—something which gives your life a sense of purpose—you may be prone to feelings of boredom and a vague sense of confinement because you are not realizing all your potential. This sense of confinement can be a potent breeding ground for anxiety, phobias, and even panic attacks." (p, 40)
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