Transcript Boss: This is our new employee, Mark. Mark was a navy SEAL.
He fought in three separate conflicts. He once fought off a hundred insurgents and saved a town. Show Mark how we roll at this company. Dilbert: Today I'll be reformatting my PowerPoint deck because someone said the design is not organic. Mark: What's that mean? Dilbert: It doesn't matter. I'll just push some things around and hope the guy who complained doesn't attend the next meeting.
Mark: How do you survive this place? Dilbert: I don't like to use the word 'hero.'
The creator of Dilbert, the fastest-growing comic strip in the nation (syndicated in nearly 1000 newspapers), takes a look at corporate America in all its glorious lunacy. Lavishly illustrated with Dilbert strips, these hilarious essays on incompetent bosses, management fads, bewildering technological changes and so much more, will make anyone who has ever worked in an off The creator of Dilbert, the fastest-growing comic strip in the nation (syndicated in nearly 1000 newspapers), takes a look at corporate America in all its glorious lunacy. Lavishly illustrated with Dilbert strips, these hilarious essays on incompetent bosses, management fads, bewildering technological changes and so much more, will make anyone who has ever worked in an office laugh out loud in recognition. The Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers will be systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage - management. Since 1989, Scott Adams has been illustrating this principle each day, lampooning the corporate world through Dilbert, his enormously popular comic strip.
In Dilbert, the potato-shaped, abuse-absorbing hero of the strip, Adams has given voice to the millions of Americans buffeted by the many adversities of the workplace. Now he takes the next step, attacking corporate culture head-on in this lighthearted series of essays. Packed with more than 100 hilarious cartoons, these 25 chapters explore the zeitgeist of ever-changing management trends, overbearing egos, management incompetence, bottomless bureaucracies, petrifying performance reviews, three-hour meetings, the confusion of the information superhighway and more. With sharp eyes, and an even sharper wit, Adams exposes - and skewers - the bizarre absurdities of everyday corporate life. Readers will be convinced that he must be spying on their bosses, The Dilbert Principle rings so true! The Dilbert Principle: A Q & A This is not really a review. It is more of a collection of notes I made from the book while I got some respite from laughing my head off or scratching my head at the thought that some of this sarcasm is slung at me too.
To those of you who are unfortunate enough to be 'bosses', I would suggest that you give this book a miss: You might end up in chronic depression. To get into the nuances of the book, here is a Q&A with my notes from the book and a few The Dilbert Principle: A Q & A This is not really a review. It is more of a collection of notes I made from the book while I got some respite from laughing my head off or scratching my head at the thought that some of this sarcasm is slung at me too. To those of you who are unfortunate enough to be 'bosses', I would suggest that you give this book a miss: You might end up in chronic depression. To get into the nuances of the book, here is a Q&A with my notes from the book and a few illustrations (again from the book) representing Scott Adams: The book opens with an instant classic: These days it seems like any idiot with a laptop computer can churn out a business book and make a few bucks.
That's certainly what I'm hoping. It would be a real letdown if the trend changed before this masterpiece goes to print.
The Dilbert Principle: A Q&A Q: Why is Business So Absurd? A: The Dilbert Principle Q: And that is? A: The basic concept of The Dilbert Principle is that the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management. This, Scott Adams says, has not proved to be the winning strategy that you might think. Then he spends the rest of the book detailing this out in hilarious fashion.
It seems as if we've turned nature's rules upside down. We systematically identify and promote the people who have the least skills.
The usual business rationalization for promoting idiots (the Dilbert Principle in a nutshell) is something along the lines of 'Well, he can't write code, he can't design a network, and he doesn't have any sales skill. But he has very good hair.' image error The fundamental way to ensure that business runs smoothly is Humiliation. There are many ways to achieve this and almost all aspects of business to ensure the hierarchy. Most of what follows deals with different ways to achieve this end result. Q: What is Business Communication? A: Any business school professor will tell you that the objective of business communication is the clear transfer of information.
That's why professors rarely succeed in business. The real objective of business communication is to advance your career. That objective is generally at odds with the notion of 'clear transfer of information.' Some of the Common Uses of Business Communication is: Q: What is a Mission Statement? A: It is defined as 'a long awkward sentence that demonstrates management's inability to think clearly.' All good companies have one. The formulation of Mission and Vision statement cannot proceed without learning Jargon.
Q: So what is 'Jargon'? A: Jargon Illustrated: For example, a manager would never say, 'I used my fork to eat a potato.' A manager would say, 'I utilized a multitined tool to process a starch resource.' The two sentences mean almost the same thing, but the second one is obviously from a smarter person. Q: How useful is 'Team Work'? A: Stephen King writes very scary books. Shakespeare wrote several excellent plays.
Unfortunately, they worked alone. If only they had worked together there's no telling how much better the results would have been. That's the theory behind 'group writing,' and it's hard to find fault with the logic. The next part of the book covers what is called ' The Great Lies of Management' Q: What lies do management tell me? A: All assurances are lies, especially if your manager says good things will happen to you: Q: What is The Myth of the Industry Average Salary? A: This lie is appreciated by the employees. Unfortunately only one company in each industry can have the best employees.
And you might be suspicious about the fact that your company pays the lowest salaries. image error Is it likely that the 'best' employees would be drawn to your company despite the lower-than-average pay? Is it possible that there's a strange mental condition that makes some people brilliant at their jobs, yet unable to compare two salary numbers and determine which one is higher?
Let's call these people 'Occupational Savants.' If they exist, what are the odds that they all decided to work at your company? Q: Once shrewd communication and lies are not enough, where do we turn to get ahead in the business world? Adams assures us that this chapter contains many surefire tips for gaining wealth and personal power at the expense of people who are studying how to be team players.
Naturally I have withheld my most effective tips so that I can crush you later if it's absolutely necessary, or if it just looks like fun. But what you find here should still be enough to brush aside the kindhearted dolts that litter your path to success. PROVIDE BAD ADVICE & SHADE THE TRUTH is pretty much the essence. But, for the sake of clarity, a few more tips: Q: How to appear smart? A: Don't waste your time actually reading the. Many people subscribe to it, but nobody actually reads it. It's easier just to say, 'Hey, did you see that article in the Journal yesterday?'
And see what happens. If the other person says yes, he's bluffing too, so you can both give a hearty laugh about the insights of the article and leave it at that. II the other person indicates he did not read the article, give a condescending look and mutter, 'It figures' before changing the subject.
image error Q: How to give 'constructive criticism'? A: Don't make the mistake of criticizing your co-workers to their faces. That will tip your hand and invite retaliation. The only constructive criticism is the kind you do behind people's backs. Q: Should I go for Form over Substance? A: The earth is populated by shallow and ignorant people.
That's why form will always be more important than substance. You can waste your time complaining about how that should not be the case in a perfect world, or you can snap out of it and follow my advice. Q: How to Look Busy at work? A: Never walk down the hall without a document in your hands. People with documents in their hands look like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they're heading for the cafeteria.
People with the newspaper in their hands look like they're heading for the bathroom. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you do. Q: How to choose your projects? A: The worth of any project is based on how it will sound on your resume.
Don't get caught up in the propaganda about how important something is for the stockholders. The stockholders are people you'll never meet. And since most projects fail or turn into something you never intended, the only lasting impact of your work is the impact on your resume. Keep your priorities straight. image error Q: How to build a resume / praise myself? A: Observe: image error Q: What to do about Performance Reviews? A: Keep this in mind: (1) Your manager is probably too lazy to write your Performance Review without your 'input'.
image error Q: How to get by in a workplace with minimum work? A: Employee Strategies such as 'Telecommuting': The office is designed for 'work,' not productivity. Work can be defined as 'anything you'd rather not be doing.' Productivity is a different matter. Telecommuting substitutes two hours of productivity for ten hours of work. image error Now you can spend time at home, sitting around in your pajamas, listening to your stereo, and playing with your hand puppet.
If you feel generous and slam out two hours of productivity, it's more than you would have done in the office, so you can feel good about it. Q: Should I be a constant Learner? A: Consider this hypothetical situation: You're having a conversation with Albert Einstein and he suddenly gets struck by lightning.
This freak accident makes him instantly twice as smart. Could you tell the difference? Once a person is smarter than you, it doesn't matter if he's one percent smarter or one thousand percent smarter.
You can't tell the difference. Don't waste your time acquiring a bunch of knowledge that will do nothing to elevate your perceived value.
Q: How to get your way in Meetings? A: The Final Suggestion Maneuver: Follow these simple steps' 1. Let everybody else make moronic suggestions.
Stay uninvolved while the participants shred each other's suggestions like crisp cabbage in a Cuisinart. Watch as they develop intense personal dislikes that will last their entire careers.
Toward the end of the allotted meeting time, when patience is thin and bladders are full, offer your suggestion. Describe it as a logical result of the good thoughts you've heard at the meeting, no matter how ridiculous that might be. Now Scott spends some time to dole out specific advice to people in different business functions: Marketing Scott: I can speak with some authority on the subject of marketing because I once took a marketing class. Moreover, I have purchased many items. The Hidden Secret of Marketing: The most important market segment is known as the 'Stupid Rich,' so named because of their tendency to buy anything that's new regardless of the cost or usefulness. If you can sell enough units to the Stupid Rich, your production costs per unit will decrease.
Then you can lower your prices and sell to the Stupid Poor—that's where the real volume is. Q: Are Focus Groups useful? A: Focus Groups are people who are selected on the basis of their inexplicable free time and their common love of free sandwiches. They are put in a room and led through a series of questions by a trained moderator. For many of these people it will be the first time they've ever been fed and listened to in the same day.
This can cause some strange behavior. They will begin to complain vehemently about things that never really bothered them before. Then they will suggest product features that they would never buy. Q: What is the deal with these MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS?
A: Consultants will hold a seemingly endless series of meetings to test various hypotheses and assumptions. These exercises are a vital step toward tricking managers into revealing the recommendation that is most likely to generate repeat consulting business.
image error After the 'correct' recommendation is discovered, it must be justified by a lengthy analysis. The consultants begin working like crazed beavers in a coffee lake. Reams of paper will disappear. You'll actually be able to hear the screams of old-growth forests dying as the consultants churn out page after page of backup charts and assumptions.
The analysis will be cleverly designed to be as confusing as possible, thus discouraging any second- guessing by sniping staff members who are afraid of appearing dense. Consultants will ultimately recommend that you do whatever you're not doing now. Centralize whatever is decentralized.
Flatten whatever is vertical. Diversify whatever is concentrated and divest everything that is not 'core' to the business. You'll hardly ever find a consultant who recommends that you keep everything the same and stop wasting money on consultants.
And consultants will rarely deal with the root cause of your company's problems, since that's probably the person who hired them. Instead, they'll look for ways to improve the 'strategy' and the 'process.' Q: How to write a good BUSINESS PLAN?
A: First, assume that any positive trends will continue forever and any negative trends will turn around soon. Then run the numbers through a computer spreadsheet.
The result is the future. (Later, if you turn out to be wrong, blame it on the global economy.) It is never a good idea to be constrained by reality when you craft your assumptions for the business case. Reality is very unpopular and it is not fun to read. Q: What are 'Engineers'?
Scott: 'For the record, I'm not an engineer by training. But I spent ten years working with engineers and programmers in a variety of jobs. I learned their customs and mannerisms by observing them, much the way Jane Goodall learned about the great apes, but without the hassle of grooming.' image error Q: Why are most projects 'impossible' for them? A: The risk/reward calculation for engineers looks something like this: RISK: Public humiliation and the death of thousands of innocent people REWARD: A certificate of appreciation in a handsome plastic frame Being practical people, engineers evaluate this balance of risks and rewards and decide that risk is not a good thing.
The best way to avoid risk is by advising that any activity is technically impossible for reasons that are far too complicated to explain. If that approach is not sufficient to halt a project, then the engineer will fall back to a second line of defense: 'It's technically possible but it will cost too much.' The quickest way to make a project uneconomical is by doubling the resources needed and using the cover story that you need to prevent failures. Personal Anecdote on the MAGIC of DOWNSIZING When the downsizing began it didn't hurt much. Instead of five non-value-added people we had four, then three, then eventually only me. I let everybody know that I was 'doing the work of five people.' I got no sympathy because everybody was 'doing the work of five people' if you believed what you heard.
Eventually I left the job. For the past thirteen years, zero people have been doing the work of five people but there were no complaints. This was a fairly clear indication that downsizing had a future. Q: So after criticizing the current way of doing things left right and center, does Scott Adams have a better alternative or is the whole book just one wild RANT?
A: Turns out that he does! He calls it: THE OA5 COMPANY Short for 'Out At 5' - An OA5 company isn't willing to settle for less productivity from the employees, just less time. The underlying assumptions for OA5 are: - Happy employees are more productive and creative than unhappy ones. There's a limit to how much happiness you can get while you're at work. Big gains in happiness can only be made by spending more time away from work. The average person is only mentally productive a few hours a day no matter how many hours are 'worked.'
- People know how to compress their activities to fit a reduced time. Doing so increases both their energy and their interest. The payoff is direct and personal—they go home early.
Q: So what makes such an environment tick? A: A company can't do much to stimulate happiness and creativity, but it can do a lot to kill them.
The trick for the company is to stay out of the way. When companies try to encourage creativity it's like a bear dancing with an ant.
Sooner or later the ant will realize it's a bad idea, although the bear might not. Q: Do these little things matter? A: Collectively all the little things create an environment that supports curiosity and learning. Imagine a job where after, you've screwed up your boss says 'What did you learn?' Instead of 'What the hell were you thinking?' . Be efficient in the little things.
For example, rather than have some Byzantine process for doling out office supplies, add $25 a month to each employees paycheck as a 'supply stipend' and let employees buy whatever they need from their local store. If they spend less, they keep the difference. Q: Any last statements? A: 'Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.'
If you are not improving the product or interacting with customers you are worthless. Q: Where can I learn more? A: The good thing about dolts is that they can be easily duped.
I'll address that issue in more detail in the sequel to this book, titled Hey, Why'd I Buy Another One of These Books? Comic strip artist, Scott Adams, took his strip to another level by introducing some of his strips to a 336 page book that also has in it Adams' various sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek observations about the white collar work force and corporate America. The 'another level' I mentioned is not necessarily a good level as many of the author's jokes fall flat and even the cartoons are a little on the lame side of the laugh-o-meter.
The reader also has to remember the book is a bit antiquated and prob Comic strip artist, Scott Adams, took his strip to another level by introducing some of his strips to a 336 page book that also has in it Adams' various sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek observations about the white collar work force and corporate America. The 'another level' I mentioned is not necessarily a good level as many of the author's jokes fall flat and even the cartoons are a little on the lame side of the laugh-o-meter.
The reader also has to remember the book is a bit antiquated and probably was a little funnier back when it came out in 1996.especially with regards to the mentioned technology. What you have here is a book that tries to be funny, but which often leaves you with some rather painfully, boring 'groaners.' I'm not giving it two stars because 'I liked it,' but because there are about a dozen worthy pages out of the 336 that are a little funny and/or which make you think the author had a valuable, humorous insight while writing about middle and upper management types. From about 2002-2007, I believe the Daily Show gave the most hard hitting and reliable news on TV. The reason was because the mainstream media was afraid to go against the zeitgeist of the patriotic anti-terror hawkish government policies. The Daily Show, being a humor show, could say whatever the heck it felt like safe behind the armor of freedom of expression and comedy. So, John Stewart poked holes in ridiculous policy, and was one of the few places with reasonable analysis of global affairs.
From about 2002-2007, I believe the Daily Show gave the most hard hitting and reliable news on TV. The reason was because the mainstream media was afraid to go against the zeitgeist of the patriotic anti-terror hawkish government policies. The Daily Show, being a humor show, could say whatever the heck it felt like safe behind the armor of freedom of expression and comedy. So, John Stewart poked holes in ridiculous policy, and was one of the few places with reasonable analysis of global affairs. The Dilbert Principle is similarly unconstrained.
Through the lens of comedy it is able to explore the inane nature of corporate America, to give one of the most incisive and insightful critiques of corporations I have read recently. (No, I don't think of Chomsky or Nader as particularly insightful). Despite the fact that its a humor book, its probably the most useful analysis of how to create productive corporate culture that I've come across. It also had me laughing out loud frequently, which is a nice bonus. The only down side is that it goes on a bit long, and some of the topics it lambasts in the latter sections I'm not familiar with, so it wasn't all that interesting (e.g. The AO5 model that Adams puts forth in the final chapter is a very interesting proposal, and I can't help but wonder if its actually the basis for the google corporate culture. Long story short: anybody thinking of starting a business ought to read this.
Its got good advice and comics. What is there not to like? I got into the Dilbert comics sometime during high school. I was working part-time in the head office of a construction company, alphabetizing invoices and de-stapling paperwork.
'Office bitch' type stuff. The hours and pay were good though and my boss looked almost exactly like the Dilbert Boss - but with a mustache and without being an idiot. Just the same, everyday's three panel strip clearly illustrated some incident that had recently occurred. This book was given to me somewher I got into the Dilbert comics sometime during high school. I was working part-time in the head office of a construction company, alphabetizing invoices and de-stapling paperwork.
'Office bitch' type stuff. The hours and pay were good though and my boss looked almost exactly like the Dilbert Boss - but with a mustache and without being an idiot.
Just the same, everyday's three panel strip clearly illustrated some incident that had recently occurred. This book was given to me somewhere during that time period and was then consumed in asynchronous chunks, usually while on the toilet.
In my mind, it remains a philosophical gem that (for better or worse) illuminates and updates all of the same points that Machiavelli was making hundreds of years ago. But Adams includes pictures. What this book is: an excellent companion piece to. What this book is not: a collection of comic strips a la Calvin and Hobbes or The Far Side Gallery etc.
Writing comedic prose is tough. Even professional comedians fail at it most of the time. And I would imagine that writing comic strips is even tougher, based on the fact that DILBERT, THE FAR SIDE and CALVIN AND HOBBES are the only good ones that immediately spring to mind. In THE DILBERT PRINCIPLE, Scott Adams succeeds admirably at both. Yes, the DILBERT comic strips are funnier than his prose-but not by so great a margin as you'd naturally expect. Adams obviously put a lot of thought into thi Writing comedic prose is tough. Even professional comedians fail at it most of the time.
And I would imagine that writing comic strips is even tougher, based on the fact that DILBERT, THE FAR SIDE and CALVIN AND HOBBES are the only good ones that immediately spring to mind. In THE DILBERT PRINCIPLE, Scott Adams succeeds admirably at both. Yes, the DILBERT comic strips are funnier than his prose-but not by so great a margin as you'd naturally expect. Adams obviously put a lot of thought into this book, and it shows.
Of course, there are plenty of missteps. Jokes occasionally fall flat on their face. If you try to read the book within too short a time frame, the humor will start to feel tired and repetitive, especially since the book is way longer than it should be. But, if you can ration it out to yourself bit-by-bit, THE DILBERT PRINCIPLE should put a smile on your face with every page. Dilbert was a favorite of my late husband, and I read this book in small portions over the course of a year.
It brought me back to my days in the work force, for example United Way campaigns, downsizing and leaders that compare employees making mistakes with doctors dropping babies on their heads (employees at the insurance company I worked for actually got a memo from upper management on that!). The book includes both cartoons, text and real-life anecdotes that readers sent Scott Adams. Adams i Dilbert was a favorite of my late husband, and I read this book in small portions over the course of a year. It brought me back to my days in the work force, for example United Way campaigns, downsizing and leaders that compare employees making mistakes with doctors dropping babies on their heads (employees at the insurance company I worked for actually got a memo from upper management on that!). The book includes both cartoons, text and real-life anecdotes that readers sent Scott Adams.
The Peter Principle
Adams is just as good at writing as drawing comics. In fact, I marked more of his text than his cartoons. He makes funny comments, for example 'a project that went down harder than a drunken ninety year-old woman with a broken hip and you're sitting in a meeting getting your face rubbed in the fiscal entrails.' He also makes sensible observations and has a common-sense approach to business that more people should listen to.
This is the second time I've read this book. The first time, I went through it very fast. This time I savored its wisdom. Anyone who has ever worked in a corporation will relate to both the essays and the unforgettable cartoons. I particularly enjoy Dogbert, the heartless H.R. Having worked in H.R. For a number of years, I have stories similar to Adams' comic strips.
The hypocrisy of a great percentage of managers is illuminated in the chapter on 'Great Lies of Management'. I'm sure most This is the second time I've read this book. The first time, I went through it very fast. This time I savored its wisdom. Anyone who has ever worked in a corporation will relate to both the essays and the unforgettable cartoons. I particularly enjoy Dogbert, the heartless H.R.
Having worked in H.R. For a number of years, I have stories similar to Adams' comic strips. The hypocrisy of a great percentage of managers is illuminated in the chapter on 'Great Lies of Management'. I'm sure most managers want to believe the things he mentions but unfortunately they don't want to act accordingly, especially when the pressure is on. This book is a a lot of fun to read, except when it hurts, mainly when my own failings as a manager are made the object of Adams' satire. Pretty hilarious! I couldn't erase the smile on my face during reading such a hilarious book.
Even sometimes i burst into laughter and people around me was wandering whether i'm crazy or something! The book contains the management deficiencies that scott has experienced himself during his career as an employee in big companies. Even though it may seem exaggerated sometimes for some people but for people working in the engineering field it'll definitely be their 'day-to-day' routine! So if you'r Pretty hilarious!
I couldn't erase the smile on my face during reading such a hilarious book. Even sometimes i burst into laughter and people around me was wandering whether i'm crazy or something! The book contains the management deficiencies that scott has experienced himself during his career as an employee in big companies. Even though it may seem exaggerated sometimes for some people but for people working in the engineering field it'll definitely be their 'day-to-day' routine! So if you're an engineer you'll totally be able to relate to every word in the book!
Even scott himself said he's astonished that in his comics he created very weird characters doing very absurd things (i.e. Cat in the chair of the HR manager torturing people in hell and trolls in accounting living like the evil witch in The Wizard of Oz!) but people don't notice that absurdity instead their attention gets drawn to the situations itself and they ACTUALLY relate to them! The funniest chapter ever was the fourteenth chapter, the one talking about engineers. I never laughed from a book in my entire life as much as i laughed from that chapter! The stereotyping of the geeky nerdy engineer is very hilarious nevertheless true!
Well actually i don't know if that should have made me laugh or cry! But it made me laugh whatsoever!
One of the funniest books i've ever read written by one of the funniest people on the planet who created the funniest cartoon character ever! Totally recommended for a good laugh! I really enjoyed this book. It is non-fiction, although Scott Adams uses some of his comic strips to make a point.
He points out all the pointless, timewasting bureaucratic hassles that affects most large businesses-and many small ones. For those who have ever worked in any office, the problems Adams focusses on are all too familiar. Ever had a big company 'slogan'? It's like a high school pep rally.
You see the slogan in e-mails, on wall posters, they pass out T-shirts or mugs with the new slogan I really enjoyed this book. It is non-fiction, although Scott Adams uses some of his comic strips to make a point. He points out all the pointless, timewasting bureaucratic hassles that affects most large businesses-and many small ones. For those who have ever worked in any office, the problems Adams focusses on are all too familiar. Ever had a big company 'slogan'? It's like a high school pep rally.
You see the slogan in e-mails, on wall posters, they pass out T-shirts or mugs with the new slogan and so on. And it is usually wasted because three to six months later, they decide on something new and all the tshirts and mugs and posters get thrown out. Wasteful-but many big companies ARE wasteful. At my last job, we never got written up-we got 'counseled'. Jargon, lack of communication and treating the vast majority of workers as just numbers is an all too common practice in many-thankfully, not all-industries. Want a take on American business that you WON'T get from the Chamber of Commerce? An agonizing chore to traverse its 320+ pages.
I've always been amused by the Dilbert comic strip, but for some reason this book just isn't funny to me. As a satirical guide to management, I suppose it would be funnier if I were actually a manager. Instead, this book just feels sloppy and uneven. Multiple strips are repeated in different sections, each chapter varies wildly in length from 3 pages to 30+ blocks, and the jokes mostly just fall flat.
There is no flow, just an endless series of anec An agonizing chore to traverse its 320+ pages. I've always been amused by the Dilbert comic strip, but for some reason this book just isn't funny to me. As a satirical guide to management, I suppose it would be funnier if I were actually a manager. Instead, this book just feels sloppy and uneven.
Multiple strips are repeated in different sections, each chapter varies wildly in length from 3 pages to 30+ blocks, and the jokes mostly just fall flat. There is no flow, just an endless series of anecdotes, real e-mails, and directionless rambling that brings on more grimaces than smiles. If the comic strips had been more tied into the context of each section, the book as a whole would be improved. As it stands, I recommend the Dilbert compilation books for anyone seeking a laugh. If you like the Dilbert comics, you'll like this book as well. It gives an ironic description of corporate life, peppered with Dilbert strips and real-life examples (through e-mails that Adams keeps receiving from his readers).
On the plus side: + Witty and easily digestible short chunks + Related Dilbert strips for every topic + Scott Adams' own experience/stories from the trenches + Final chapter on how Adams thinks management should be done On the minus side: - Style gets repetitive, esp. When you r If you like the Dilbert comics, you'll like this book as well. It gives an ironic description of corporate life, peppered with Dilbert strips and real-life examples (through e-mails that Adams keeps receiving from his readers). On the plus side: + Witty and easily digestible short chunks + Related Dilbert strips for every topic + Scott Adams' own experience/stories from the trenches + Final chapter on how Adams thinks management should be done On the minus side: - Style gets repetitive, esp. When you read it in one go - A lot of the strips are used more than once in the book (!) - Sometimes overly cynical, lacking the compassionate edge of the strips - Some mannerisms, as with the footnotes on the metaphors Bottom line: good, but no cigar.
Very tedious The text gives nothing helpful and is repetitive, if not outright negative. Dark humour's available in the comic strips but stretching it out in a textual form is pushing it.
I found myself laughing at more of those strips than the text, which adopts a very mightier-than-thou position by means of contrast and inside/outside. Humour works that way. Authors try to group themselves together with readers to laugh at an external group (in this book it is the suit who is not in t Tedious. Very tedious The text gives nothing helpful and is repetitive, if not outright negative.
Dark humour's available in the comic strips but stretching it out in a textual form is pushing it. I found myself laughing at more of those strips than the text, which adopts a very mightier-than-thou position by means of contrast and inside/outside. Humour works that way. Authors try to group themselves together with readers to laugh at an external group (in this book it is the suit who is not in the know). But Adams seem to have tried too hard for me.
Massively cynical, and mildly dated (it is over 20 years old), but people don't really change all that much, even if the fads do. It’s not the business world that brings out our idiocy, but it might be the place where we notice it the most.
In our personal lives we tolerate bizarre behaviour. It even seems normal. (See immediate family for example) But at work we think everyone should be guided by logic and rational thinking. The central tension of business: We expect others to act rationally e Massively cynical, and mildly dated (it is over 20 years old), but people don't really change all that much, even if the fads do. It’s not the business world that brings out our idiocy, but it might be the place where we notice it the most. In our personal lives we tolerate bizarre behaviour. It even seems normal.
(See immediate family for example) But at work we think everyone should be guided by logic and rational thinking. The central tension of business: We expect others to act rationally even though we are irrational. It’s useless to expect rational behaviour from the people you work with, or anyone else for that matter. If you can come to peace with the fact that you’re surrounded by idiots (and are probably one yourself), you’ll realise that resistance is futile, your tension will dissipate, and you can sit back and have a good laugh at the expense of others. Employees like to feel that their contributions are being valued.
That’s why managers try to avoid that sort of thing. With value comes self-esteem, and with self-esteem comes unreasonable requests for money. By definition, risk-takers often fail. So do morons. In practice it is difficult to sort them out.
True Statements and Omitted Qualifiers: (Or avoiding the truth without lying) I’m a team player. For the other team. You’re next on my list. Of things to ignore. I’ll call you when I know. That you won’t be there.
I love what you’ve done with your hair. Never make the mistake of giving bad Performance Reviews to bad employees. This will limit their ability to switch jobs within the company and shackle them to you forever until their corrosive effect destroys you.
It’s better to focus on the positive aspects of every employee’s performance, even if you have to assault the truth a bit. All news stories focus on one of two things: something that is very bad or something that is very good. Help the writer determine what is very good about your situation; otherwise the default story is generally about something that is very bad. Make sure you work in a group with losers. Losers are the ones who will get low raises, thus leaving ample budget funds for you. The worst mistake you could make is to work in a group with highly qualified people. That’s a no-win situation for all of you.
Losers are your friends (figuratively speaking). If you don’t have any losers in your group, help your boss recruit some, preferably in areas that don’t affect your life. You want the losers to be within the same general budget area, but not close enough to annoy you on a daily basis. Good advertising can make people buy your product even if it sucks. That’s important, because it takes the pressure off you to make good products. A dollar spent on brainwashing is more cost-effective than a dollar spent on product improvement.
Obviously there’s a minimum quality that every product has to achieve. It should be able to withstand the shipping process without becoming unrecognisable. But after the minimums are achieved, it’s advertising that makes the big difference.
In contrast to “normal people”, engineers have rational objectives for social interactions: -Get it over as soon as possible -Avoid getting invited to something unpleasant -Demonstrate mental superiority and mastery of all subjects Normal people believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.
Clothing is the lowest priority for an engineer, assuming the basic threshold for temperature and decency have been satisfied. Engineers understand that their appearance only bothers other people and therefore is not worth optimising. Engineers prefer to work as consultants on project teams. That way there is no real work, blame is spread across the group, and you can crush any idea from marketing! The whole concept of “teamwork” changed when it migrated from the world of sports to the world of business.
In basketball, a good team player is somebody who passes the ball. If you put a businessperson on a basketball team he’d follow the player with the ball, saying things like “What do you plan to do with that? Can we talk about it first?” Teamwork is the opposite of good time management. You can’t do a good job managing your time unless you can blow off your co-workers. They will try to convince you to abandon your priorities in favour or their priorities.
They are selfish and evil. Emails to Scott Adams detailing real-life absurdities are even more mind-boggling.
Especially the one on page 293, where a resignation letter was returned to the resigning employee red-penned with comments, along with a helpful model letter from her closest peer). See the full review! First of all, I am a huge Dilbert fan, although I have never read the comics at work, especially not during that dozy hour right after lunch.
Maybe you have heard of the Peter principle. People get promoted for being competent at their current position, so it is certain that everybody ends in a job they can no longer fill competently. The Dilbert principle is similar, but postulates an earlier reason for executive incompetence: incompetent people ar See the full review! First of all, I am a huge Dilbert fan, although I have never read the comics at work, especially not during that dozy hour right after lunch. Maybe you have heard of the Peter principle. People get promoted for being competent at their current position, so it is certain that everybody ends in a job they can no longer fill competently. The Dilbert principle is similar, but postulates an earlier reason for executive incompetence: incompetent people are rapidly transferred to positions where normal people do not have to see them every day and where they cannot touch anything dangerous – to management.
Most management books are written by and for managers. There are good reasons for this, for example few non-managers have the required of free time and hubris to write a management book. But this also creates a bias which may be one reason why ridiculous company policies still thrive. The Dilbert Principle offers a different perspective, looking at management actions through the eyes of the office workers affected by them.
Adams brings up diverse topics that determine (and sometimes plague) the daily grind in the cubicles, from consultants to employee motivation programmes. Each chapter gives an brief introduction to the topic at hand, not sparing the sarcasm, followed by a selection of comics mocking the described management strategies. Unfortunately, some comics are shown more than once for different topics.
The final part for each chapter is a collection of emails written to Adams by office workers suffering from silly management that may as well be scripts for the Dilbert comic. Sometimes life imitates art. I tried gifting this book to my boss, and the results were amazing. I was moved out by the cubicle and from the company as well.
Well jokes apart, haing worked in the corporate where I daily faced such instances, I was laughing my ass off while reading this book. This book is a collection of all the Dilbert cartoons featured on various newspapers and then woven into a book with little anecdotes and the mails which the author received in the form of complaints or funny sagas. If you are a person I tried gifting this book to my boss, and the results were amazing.
I was moved out by the cubicle and from the company as well. Well jokes apart, haing worked in the corporate where I daily faced such instances, I was laughing my ass off while reading this book. This book is a collection of all the Dilbert cartoons featured on various newspapers and then woven into a book with little anecdotes and the mails which the author received in the form of complaints or funny sagas.
If you are a person who is sitting in a cubicle and doing a job, then either read this book and leave your job ASAP or gift it to your boss. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. Adams was born in Windham, New York in 1957 and received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Hartwick College in 1979. He also studied economics and management for his 1986 MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. In recent years, Ada Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. Adams was born in Windham, New York in 1957 and received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Hartwick College in 1979. He also studied economics and management for his 1986 MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
In recent years, Adams has been hurt with a series of debilitating health problems. Since late 2004, he has suffered from a reemergence of his focal dystonia which has affected his drawing.1He can fool his brain by drawing using a graphics tablet. On December 12, 2005, Adams announced on his blog that he also suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a condition that causes the vocal cords to behave in an abnormal manner. However, on October 24, 2006, he again blogged stating that he had recovered from this condition, although he is unsure if the recovery is permanent. He claims to have developed a method to work around the disorder and has been able to speak normally since.
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Also, on January 21, 2007, he posted a blog entry detailing his experiences with treatment by Dr. Morton Cooper.
Adams is also a trained hypnotist, as well as a vegetarian. (Mentioned in, 'Dilbert: A Treasury of Sunday Strips 00). He married Shelly Miles on July 22, 2006.
The dilbert principle scott adams. 1. T H E DILBERT PRINCIPLE. Copyright © 1996 by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022. HarperCollins books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please write: Special Markets Department, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022. FIRST EDITION Designed by Caitlin Daniels Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Adams, Scott, 1957- The Dilbert principle: a cubicles eye view of bosses, meetings, management fads & other workplace afflictions / Scott Adams, p. ISBN 0-88730-787-6 I. Office politics. Personnel management.
HD31.A294 1996 650.1'3—dc20 96-388 98 97 96 RRD-H 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31. For Pam. CONTENTS Foreword: Big Opening ix Introduction: Why Is Business So Absurd?
Transcript Dogbert points to a sign that says, 'Dogbert explains leadership.' Dogbert points to a man who is wearing an untucked shirt and staring blankly ahead. Dogbert says, 'Leaders start their careers as morons.' The caption says, 'They are drawn to meetings like moths to a porch light.
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The moron walks toward a conference room. Dogbert points to a diagram of a human body. He says, 'The successful moron will have a very high bladder-to-brain ratio.' The caption says, 'They prevail in all decisions because they are impervious to logic or coffee.'
Dilbert sits at a conference table with the moron and another man. The moron says, 'Let's do it my way!' The other man says, 'Okay!' The caption says, 'These qualities are perceived as leadership.'
The moron pours coffee on himself. The Boss tells the moron, 'You're promoted!' The caption says, 'After several promotions their job tends to match their talents.' The moron tells Dilbert, 'I award you this award.'
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Dogbert says, 'Conclusion: leadership is nature's way of removing morons from the productive flow.'