Backstabber's Office Rules #9 & #10- Learn from the Best

Part of: Evil Office Politics

Hey all! Yes, I have strayed from my usual posting regularity in the last week. I do believe I am suffering from a serious case of Post Traumatic Turkey Stress, or PTTS. The symptoms, as far as I can tell, are severe inactivity, deep relaxation, and a fear of anything blog related.

But never fear! I am now ready to supply those few loyal readers with yet more drops of Evil Office wisdom, in the form of my favorite post: Backstabber's Office Rules! And here they are:

This lesson is one of my favorites. Like some of the earlier rules, lesson #9 is definitely difficult to put into action. Most people are too vain to learn such a strategy, let alone actually use it. Conversely, this strategy is also one of the most successful. I call it the "Columbo" effect.

"Superiority is a virus; spread it to all your enemies."

Did you ever watch "Columbo"? It was a semi-decent television detective show, that had quite a good run. I ask this because "Columbo", the main character, always employed a tactic which brought him great success. Whenever good old "Columbo" met a potential enemy, he played the role of idiot. He asked the right questions, kept his mouth shut, his ears open, but he never let his murder suspects believe that he was competent enough to catch their arrogant behinds. And this, loyal readers, will work for you guaranteed!

Leading others to believe they are superior to you will always leave you in an advantageous position. When people feel superior, they don't view you as a threat. When you are not a threat, they let their guard down, and their arrogance kicks in. You have disarmed them mentally. They will divulge anything to you. The key is to let them talk, never interrupt, never help, and never correct them.

If you really want to succeed in business, this tactic will always be your best asset. Knowing when to play dumb is the smartest thing you could ever learn. Just ask "Columbo", he solved ever murder case in less than thirty minutes.

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Article comments

  • 1 - Ja-Ja Binks

    Jan 06, 2006 at 4:17 pm

    Ha ha ha that is so right on the mark, if just one person heeds these words they will certainly be on the path to enlightenment... Nice .... Really Nice...

  • 2 - Sway913

    Jul 17, 2008 at 6:56 pm

    What happened to #8?? I love these gems and want them all! And I want an 8!

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