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Weaponized Stupidity

My friend T and I met up after almost four years - we've both changed jobs and gone through some life stage changes in this time. There was much to catch up on but at some point conversation turned to the the concept of weaponizing stupidity in the workplace. We were both able to recall a few people we have worked with over the years who sit the highest end of middle management for an unbearably long time and make everyone's life miserable. 

They have a very simple MO - that gets them promoted to this point and keeps them afloat there for a long time. It goes something like this. They are the supposed subject matter experts in a certain area so they hold the power to approve big decisions that impact large programs. They are a toxic combination of mentally lazy, incurious and ambitious. So when something is brought to them to make a decision on - they know better than to say Yes or No. 

That is taking a stand and has consequences for their career, it also needs mental effort and courage - all things they don't want to expend on a job that is cozy and pays well. Instead they proclaim very loudly the content that was presented to them for them decision making is absolutely incomprehensible - there is not a word of it that is understandable so obviously they don't have enough information to make a decision. Frequently the people that put the said content together feel like they missed the mark in being able to communicate their problem statement succinctly. 

This is aided and abetted by the wall of silence that usually follows such a pronouncement by the expert - it is also the wall of shame. The hapless folks go back to the drawing board and take another crack at it - the expert still does not get it and this process continues until someone higher up makes a decision and absorbs the risk. The expert is viewed as leadership material for being so bold and insisting on the highest standards that the rest failed to meet. It is a spectacular way to converting stupidity and laziness into a tool for career advancement - both T and I have seen this strategy to work every single time. 

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