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Why Nice Guys Finish Last at Startups?

13 points by cwan 16y ago

bluesnowmonkey 16y ago
Speak with power – without being profane. Also, interrupt. [...] Also, make sure you’re permitted to complete your sentences, and use vivid emotion-producing language. I've worked with this type of person. He could have written the book on power dynamics. Unfortunately, his insistence on interrupting and not being interrupted pushed the people around him toward fighting rather than cooperating, even when there were no real disagreements in the room. Yes, it will help you get ahead, but at the same time it will destroy the organization around you.
- JoeAltmaier 16y ago
  Know when the situation is important to "getting ahead", and when its just work - and use appropriate language for each.
lsc 16y ago
It seems like every business owner should be aware of this sort of thing... aware so that he or she can recognize and fire the employees who play these destructive games to get ahead. As a business owner, though, I think the rules for playing power games are quite different; First, I care about how well the company does more than how "powerful" you think I am. I mean, if I don't let you finish what you are trying to say, why the hell am I still employing you? besides, you know I can fire you. I have the metaphorical 'big stick' in the situation; there is no reason to lord my status over you.
- helmut_hed 16y ago
  The guys who do the interrupting power dynamic thing don't do it to their bosses - only their subordinates and competitors. This, too, is part of the "skill set" they bring. The attitude of their manager is extremely important in this - some people actually admire the people doing the bullying and think it shows potential for advancement. I'm not sure why, but it explains a lot...
  - lsc 16y ago
    right; my point was that if you have significant ownership, becoming a bully likely hurts you (because it hurts the company) more than it helps you (because who is going to promote you? you own the place.) My point is that the traditional rules for office politics are designed for an environment where the actual owners are absent, and what you have left are the middle managers arguing over control of other people's money. The equation works out quite a bit differently in a startup where the boss usually owns a pretty significant chunk of the company. It's the "at startups" bit of the title (which doesn't seem to be supported by the rest of the article) that I object to.

13 points by cwan 16y ago

Speak with power – without being profane. Also, interrupt. [...] Also, make sure you’re permitted to complete your sentences, and use vivid emotion-producing language. I've worked with this type of person. He could have written the book on power dynamics. Unfortunately, his insistence on interrupting and not being interrupted pushed the people around him toward fighting rather than cooperating, even when there were no real disagreements in the room. Yes, it will help you get ahead, but at the same time it will destroy the organization around you.

JoeAltmaier 16y ago
Know when the situation is important to "getting ahead", and when its just work - and use appropriate language for each.

lsc 16y ago

It seems like every business owner should be aware of this sort of thing... aware so that he or she can recognize and fire the employees who play these destructive games to get ahead. As a business owner, though, I think the rules for playing power games are quite different; First, I care about how well the company does more than how "powerful" you think I am. I mean, if I don't let you finish what you are trying to say, why the hell am I still employing you? besides, you know I can fire you. I have the metaphorical 'big stick' in the situation; there is no reason to lord my status over you.

helmut_hed 16y ago
The guys who do the interrupting power dynamic thing don't do it to their bosses - only their subordinates and competitors. This, too, is part of the "skill set" they bring. The attitude of their manager is extremely important in this - some people actually admire the people doing the bullying and think it shows potential for advancement. I'm not sure why, but it explains a lot...
- lsc 16y ago
  right; my point was that if you have significant ownership, becoming a bully likely hurts you (because it hurts the company) more than it helps you (because who is going to promote you? you own the place.) My point is that the traditional rules for office politics are designed for an environment where the actual owners are absent, and what you have left are the middle managers arguing over control of other people's money. The equation works out quite a bit differently in a startup where the boss usually owns a pretty significant chunk of the company. It's the "at startups" bit of the title (which doesn't seem to be supported by the rest of the article) that I object to.