FINANCIALjobs.com presents:
FINANCIAL GAME
By Dennis Geselowitz
March 10, 2000 ARTICLE:
Corporate Snaketalk
There’s an old saying in India that careful people look for "a
snake under every rock." Think that’s silly? Snakes like to sleep under rocks,
and 10,000 people a year in that country die from snakebites.
The thing about snakes is, if you see them in time, you can avoid the danger. Here are some apparently human things people in corporations may say, and what poison lurks therein.
"I’ve been accused of incompetence. Do my work for me and save my job."
(After you do, you’ll be the only witness to my incompetence, as well as the only logical candidate for my job. I will therefore thank you by doing my best to have you terminated).
"Even though I seem to be attacking what you do, I like you personally."
(Some of my best friends are your kind.) (I do not like your type).
"I would like you to reduce your staff by dismissing X."
(After which I’ll reduce my staff by dismissing you).
"Don’t be offended by Y threatening you. She’s a nice person and does not mean to hurt you."
(Y is not a nice person and means to hurt you. I am an ally of Y and also mean to hurt you).
"Thanks for helping me complete the project. Without you, I would not have had a snowflake’s chance of success."
(I’m too weak to help other people. You have a snowflake’s chance of seeing me reciprocate).
"Think you can get that project done by Thursday at 10 a.m.?"
(I intend firing you on Thursday at 11 a.m.)
Dennis Geselowitz, presently a CFO, got an MBA from USC,
took one year of law school during his MBA program, passed the bar exam on his first try
with just that one year of law school, and not surprisingly obtained his JD from USC.
Write him with questions, comments, or anecdotes from your own
Financial Game: geselowitz@fjadnet.com
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