Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Power-pathic managers

Article in the SMH titled: 'Power-hungry managers bad for business'. Dr Glyn Brokensha of the Banks Management Group describes these people as "power-pathic".

"One in 10 Australian managers are deceitful, cold-hearted manipulators bent on attaining power for its own sake, new research shows...

Dr Brokensha said power-paths thrive in businesses with autocratic management cultures. In such environments power-paths, who are typically articulate, charming and confident, can quickly curry favour with their peers and superiors, while causing misery for the staff who report to them.

"You'll get senior management say, 'So-and-so is really good, he has cleared out all the dead wood, all the non-performers', and then find three years later that the dead wood has not been cleared out, he has cleared out anybody who knew what he was, anyone who opposed him," he said.

"He is actually a glib non-performer himself..."

W: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/03/21/1111253955069.html