Machiavelli Lite

[darkemeralds]

It's a mark of my recovery from recent sad events that I'm throwing myself pretty wholeheartedly today back into the minor-league Machiavellian machinations that comprise my job.

So I'll share with you the most important thing I've learned in life so far...you know, not counting all the kindergarten stuff.





No, the secret is not that sexy new shoes and a ruffly silk blouse will cheer a girl up. I just wanted to show-n-tell.

It's this.

Everybody wants two kinds of things: Important, big-picture things like Love, Comfort, Pleasure, Security--which we'll call A. And immediate ego-need things like winning the argument or being right, which we'll call B.

The more you cede other people's B items to them in any conflict, the more they'll let you have your A items. As a side benefit, they often volunteer to take your most annoying problems off your hands at the same time.

Case in point: In a mad power play, my biggest detractor here at work has proposed to take one staff member and two programs away from me.

My B here is, "No! That's mine! Power! Territory! Grabby-grabby." But my A is, "Salary. Office. Time to post to LJ during the workday if I feel like it."

So I said, "That sounds like a great plan!" Then I went to our boss and said, "Dude. Here are two new projects I can take on to make you Comfortable, Secure, and Well-Liked By Those Up On The Twelfth Floor."

And lo. I keep my salary and my office, hand my most difficult staff member and my two most boring programs over to my eager and willing detractor, and win big points with El Jefe.



Everybody wins. It's awesome.

Comments

[maitheas.livejournal.com]

*makes notes*

*envies the pritty pritty blouse and shoes*

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Blouse: Bloomingdales online. Shoesies: Nordstrom Rack--Franco Sarto, by the way, and I got 'em for forty bucks. Enveeee meeeee!

[vampirefan.livejournal.com]

you are crafty!

can you refuse to take the problem back when the "mastermind" realizes what a mistake they made in "taking away" those things from you?

also, yay for more interesting projects!

[neroli66.livejournal.com]

OOH! New more (hopefully) challenging stuff at work and brownie points!!

I think this calls for the Ass-tastic icon. ;-)

[sffan.livejournal.com]

You rule.

That's so awesome.

[serenity-valley.livejournal.com]

Beneficient subversion is Teh Awesome, yo. :)

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thanks.

And shoesies!

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Hee! I am always happy to see the Ass-Tastic icon! Do I want to know what mental connection you made between it and "brownie points"?

*innocent*

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Oh good heavens no! When (note, I say "when") she admits defeat and demands that I take this shit back on, I say, "Why yes, of course," and graciously accept.

Then I go to the boss and ask for more resources. I don't actually do more work. *delicate shudder* Though I'd probably ask for a promotion and a raise.

It's a game. Damn, I'm good.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Oooh! That's a good name for it. Is that, like, from Machiavelli? Or did you just coin that? 'Cause I'm usin' it!

[serenity-valley.livejournal.com]

I believe he has for a term for it, but that's not it. I can't remember what it is -- been a few years since I read The Prince.

Nope, I coined that term my own bad self. Use away!

[neroli66.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I want to examine that mental connection my own self...*smirk*

Or why I feel the need to use the Hamilton lick icon after you used your Mal ass one...HEE!!

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Hee!

We bad.

[neroli66.livejournal.com]

We so are...hehehe

But we had a nice little bit of icon!porn going there...LOL

[str8ontilmornin.livejournal.com]

Win away!

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

A shorter version of this treatise is: Find a way to let everyone win.

It's almost always possible. And what's more, it always leads to wonderful new developments.

[wedjateye.livejournal.com]

I bow in awe.

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid my mini-Machiavellian advice isn't of much use to you right now, but for what it's worth, I believe that every situation has a win in it.

[kispexi2.livejournal.com]

You are a devious woman. I'm having a few B issues myself right now. Actually all my issues are B ones. Hmmm. I dread to think what that says about me.

*resolves to try to be wise like emeraldsedai

[emeraldsedai.livejournal.com]

Hee! See, the beauty of this thing is that it doesn't require wisdom. It only requires self-interest. You have to have just enough faith or madness to try it once, and then the rewards begin to pour in like some crazy pyramid scheme, but without the inevitable collapse.

The wisdom comes when you see how cool it all is and resolve not to go back to B.