Bullsh*t
In Samuel Culbert’s new book Beyond Bullsh*t: Straight-Talk at Work, Culbert defines bullsh*t as:
Words spoken or actions taken with the goal of getting people to go along with an agenda without the communicator giving serious consideration to the veracity of the communication. Bullsh*t is usually dispensed without serious consideration for its impact on the agendas of the targeted recipients. Usually there’s no malice of forethought and no intent to deceive. The communicator is merely following standard corporate practices. Nevertheless, recipients commonly end up feeling deceived. (p.31).
Yesterday I featured a guest post from a friend that was fired last week. I withheld my comments on her description of what happened to her, but several of you provided some excellent commentary. Now I will give you my opinion of her firing:
Bullsh*t
My friend’s termination was clearly dispensed without serious consideration for how it would impact her, and the way she was fired and how it was communicated to others was very deceitful. It’s possible that the executive that personally fired her had no malice of forethought and no intent to deceive, but I find that hard to believe.
And although the firing was a complete surprise, I seriously doubt this was the first time the organization and its leadership had engaged in bullsh*t. I think we would all do well to remember that behavior follows patterns, and sometimes we can deceive ourselves into thinking that that patterns really aren’t what they might appear to be or don’t really pose a serious threat.
Could something similar to what happened to my friend happen to you? Don’t bullsh*t yourself.
Related Posts:
What’s Your Experience With Leadership
Leadership Integrity: Touchy-Feely Crap?
About the Author: Bret L. Simmons
Welcome to my blog! Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section of my posts. I publish all constructive, non-anonymous comments. 
Bret,
This is why I enjoy reading your blog so much. I think its sadly been ingrained in us that when someone gets fired, we simply show point them to the door and continue with our day as if nothing exceptional has happened. As you’ve brought up innumerable times in your blog, when we go to work we shouldn’t think we need to leave our humanity behind – of our sense of respect, decency, and appreciation for others.
And I agree with you that this very situation can happen to all of us, especially if we choose to ignore the signs around us, of thinking the way our co-workers are being treated won’t happen to us for some reason or another.
In these tough economic times, we might feel that it’s too hard or asking too much to demand a change in action or behaviour. But I believe that this is one of the steps we need to take if we truly want to turn things around for the better.
Thanks again Bret for another wonderfully engaging piece.
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Great thoughts, Tanveer. Totally concur. Things can’t change until we expect them to and engage in the process. Thanks! Bret
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Nice work. By the way, the phrase is “malice aforethought” not “of forethought”
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Ha! that is great, Richard. I guess both Samuel and his editors missed that one because I copied it word for word from his book. Thanks! Bret
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Hi Bret,
The story about the termed HR Director really is BS. It is hard to believe a CEO would try covering up like that. Makes you wonder what the motive was.
It would be interesting to know if there were other employees in the department and if they were also not affordable….
Best of luck to your friend.
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Jon, I’m not sure what else happened at the organization, but it is a good question. Either way, the way it was handled was clearly bullshit. Thanks for visiting and sharing your expertise! Bret
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Greetings Bret,
Another great post, where no one dares.
I would like to tap your thoughts on where does “Organisational Politics” fit into the overall scheme of management. To what extend is it critical in shaping the way companies operate and how significant it is as a competency. As much as I loathe at it, it seems ubiquitious, real and perhaps indispensable for workforce survival!.
It was a point raised by James in your other post, The Tale of Termination. He cited his mother’s case in failing to understand the changing political landscape as reason for getting fired.
Since my years in the Army, I have come to understand it as a “dirty” phenomenon adopted by cowards who can’t straight talk. I am of the opinion that playing “politics” is a dysfunctional behaviour that serves to add inertia to coomunication, trust, transparency and simple decency. Being what it is and what it does, I am sometimes frustrated when credit is given to it’s existance and importance.
My curiosity drove me to google and suprisingly, found “political Savvy” being a trait required of leadership. I am not clear as to what exactly does the behavioral description conveys or translate into. But it is certainly far from “playing politics”.
The irony of it is, in my years of formal education and training, I have never been taught on “political landscapes”. If it is indeed an important trait or competency, how come we don’t teach that to graduates and MBAs. Is it one of those oxymoronic things that people self-sabotage in justifying it’s prevailence at the workplace.
To me, politics is another form of BS. It is a cowardly act pepetrated by people who are not fit to become leaders. period.
If people are being given the short end of the stick, they should not blame it on politics. Instead, they should take it out on the leadership.
Cheers
Yuva
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:21 am
Yuva, politics is a necessary part of organizational life. It does not have to be a bad thing. To me the important thing is why would I or someone else engage in politial behavior? I see politics as legitimate when the people practicing it are doing it to advance the shared purpose. I see it as illegitimate when they do it only for self-interest. I teach politics in my MBA class (next week in fact) but don’t really cover how to effectively navigage the political landscape at work. And frankly I am very bad at it myself! Thanks!! Bret
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Bret,
Being made redundant is as common as kids having paddle pops in a hot summer these days. I’ve read the story about how your friend got fired and the lame excuse that her boss said to her.
Let me tell you a story. In this case, this guy, without any early warning from his boss, has been called to a meeting to see the HR person. Instead of coming up with any kind of excuses, the HR person simply read out from a letter of termination that his position is not required and hence his role is made redundant…. and ask him to sign and hand over the paperwork, clean up his desk, return his laptop, take his badge, and leave cob.
I’ve just put a post in my blog commenting on SUN microsystems’s recent decision to shed another 3,000 staff worldwide, in additional to the 6,000 it already shed. It means Sun has reduced close to one-thirds of its staff in less than one year.
I think your friend has got a better treatment than most others who’ve lost their jobs as part of corporate re-structuring. At least, she’s got a trip to see her boss.
M
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
October 25th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Micheal, thanks for sharing the story. That’s just cold. Makes me wonder how the folks that carry out these cold sentences live with themselves. This is not war, it is work and life and these are real people with real lives. We can do better, even in tough times. Thanks! Bret
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