Methinks the Lady Doth Protest Too Much?
Today Barbara Wallraff, an editor at The Atlantic Monthly, reviewed our book Why Business People Speak Like Idiots in the Wall Street Journal (sub req'd). As a first time author who's been stumbling through the publishing process in a clueless fog, let me just say that it was really humbling to see our little experiment profiled in the pages of the Journal. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were working at the kitchen table, making pencil edits on greasy manuscript pages stained with orange juice and English muffin crumbs. So yes, we are a little starstruck at somehow finding our way onto the hallowed pages of red state literature.
But it didn't take us too long to stop ogling, wipe the pixie dust out of our eyes, and start thinking: Barbara, honey, we think you missed the point. OK, OK. We're the authors, so it's a pretty sure bet that when someone says our baby isn't perfect and cute and lovable and doesn't have shit that smells like French perfume, we're going to have a strong reaction. BUT....Wallraff's review just begs a response, because it's so predictable. The suits who work in the old world just don't get it, and probably won't. And their cluelessness is why we wrote the book.
When reviewing our advice on how to be a more effective communicator, Wallraff whines that "if you aren't naturally breezy, confident, and enthusiastic -- like the authors (she clearly hasn't met us!), there doesn't seem to be much you can do about it." Wow -- I guess we should all just get deeply in touch with our pathetically boring DNA, hole ourselves up in our cubicles, and be satisfied living out our work life in our own private hellhole void of confidence and enthusiasm. We'll let all the breezy, confident, enthusiastic people out there have all the fun, make all the money, get the good looking dates and revel in the spoils of capitalism. C'mon Barbara -- is your work that depressing? Some dude a few hundred years ago -- last name of Calvin, I think -- thought just like you. Whew.
Then she rants about our advice on how to be more forthright in owning up to your mistakes and problems. Here is what Barbara has to say:
"But do we really want to hear heartfelt apologies from our boss, our colleagues, our assistants, our consultants, the IT department, the receptionist, the cleaning staff and the man who delivers lunch? Not me. I want them to have nothing much to apologize for because they do their jobs right."
Helllloooooo -- earth to Barbara. Attitudes like Barbara's are the problem -- that type of "don't tell me your problems -- just make it happen" arrogance is what makes the workplace so inauthentic. It's what causes honest people to hedge, waver, sugarcoat, and evade. It leads to bullshit, because the Wallraffian attitude doesn't leave a lot of room for humanity. Because, Barbara, in the little circular sphere called earth that I live in -- people make mistakes. Lots of 'em. And the fault runs both ways -- those who lack the courage to own up to their mistakes share the problem with those who create an environment where it's hard to be human. Think about all the good people who spew bullshit because they work in a "I don't want to hear about mistakes" environment.
Of course, there's also a point of view that business is business, and a tough, hold people accountable environment is what leads to success. Agreed. But there's a huge difference between Wallraff's idea of work and an environment where mistakes are generally viewed as a natural part of the learning process, where people learn from them and improve. This is a world of confidence, usually populated by competent people trying to do the right thing. Barbara seems to work in a different world. A world where incompetence is expected, where fear rules, and where admitting mistakes is a sign of weakness rather than strength.
Barbara hit a chord. Her world is one that legions of people are trying to flee. Her attitude is exactly why business people really do speak like idiots. We expect the old order to bash us -- bring it on. We'd rather take the Passionate approach, where we create something that is kick-ass useful to our readers.
But it didn't take us too long to stop ogling, wipe the pixie dust out of our eyes, and start thinking: Barbara, honey, we think you missed the point. OK, OK. We're the authors, so it's a pretty sure bet that when someone says our baby isn't perfect and cute and lovable and doesn't have shit that smells like French perfume, we're going to have a strong reaction. BUT....Wallraff's review just begs a response, because it's so predictable. The suits who work in the old world just don't get it, and probably won't. And their cluelessness is why we wrote the book.
When reviewing our advice on how to be a more effective communicator, Wallraff whines that "if you aren't naturally breezy, confident, and enthusiastic -- like the authors (she clearly hasn't met us!), there doesn't seem to be much you can do about it." Wow -- I guess we should all just get deeply in touch with our pathetically boring DNA, hole ourselves up in our cubicles, and be satisfied living out our work life in our own private hellhole void of confidence and enthusiasm. We'll let all the breezy, confident, enthusiastic people out there have all the fun, make all the money, get the good looking dates and revel in the spoils of capitalism. C'mon Barbara -- is your work that depressing? Some dude a few hundred years ago -- last name of Calvin, I think -- thought just like you. Whew.
Then she rants about our advice on how to be more forthright in owning up to your mistakes and problems. Here is what Barbara has to say:
"But do we really want to hear heartfelt apologies from our boss, our colleagues, our assistants, our consultants, the IT department, the receptionist, the cleaning staff and the man who delivers lunch? Not me. I want them to have nothing much to apologize for because they do their jobs right."
Helllloooooo -- earth to Barbara. Attitudes like Barbara's are the problem -- that type of "don't tell me your problems -- just make it happen" arrogance is what makes the workplace so inauthentic. It's what causes honest people to hedge, waver, sugarcoat, and evade. It leads to bullshit, because the Wallraffian attitude doesn't leave a lot of room for humanity. Because, Barbara, in the little circular sphere called earth that I live in -- people make mistakes. Lots of 'em. And the fault runs both ways -- those who lack the courage to own up to their mistakes share the problem with those who create an environment where it's hard to be human. Think about all the good people who spew bullshit because they work in a "I don't want to hear about mistakes" environment.
Of course, there's also a point of view that business is business, and a tough, hold people accountable environment is what leads to success. Agreed. But there's a huge difference between Wallraff's idea of work and an environment where mistakes are generally viewed as a natural part of the learning process, where people learn from them and improve. This is a world of confidence, usually populated by competent people trying to do the right thing. Barbara seems to work in a different world. A world where incompetence is expected, where fear rules, and where admitting mistakes is a sign of weakness rather than strength.
Barbara hit a chord. Her world is one that legions of people are trying to flee. Her attitude is exactly why business people really do speak like idiots. We expect the old order to bash us -- bring it on. We'd rather take the Passionate approach, where we create something that is kick-ass useful to our readers.
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