I am working on a little quiz based on something that Jeff Pfeffer and I have been thinking about since we wrote The Knowing-Doing Gap a decade ago, that continues in The No Asshole Rule, and I am thinking about again right now for my current work on great bosses. We've thought a lot about the problem of destructive internal competition,and one of the little revelations we've had over the last few years is that one of the best diagnostic questions for determining if a boss or organization is fueling cooperation and information sharing– or stomping it out — is "who they are the superstars here?" Bosses who reward solo superstars who stomp on others, stab them in the back, and steal their ideas are — whether they want to or not — breeding people and building a culture that anoints greedy and selfish superstars.
In contrast, bosses who anoint people as superstars only when they do stellar solo work AND when they help others succeed too, are creating the right kinds of stars. I have written a lot over the years about different reward systems. Hard Facts reviews pretty compelling evidence that organizations that emphasize the differences between the very best versus the "merely" competent and reliable employees may do a better job of holding on to the stars. But they often undermine overall team and organizational performance. Nonetheless, I have been fascinated to learn in recent years that, although there are huge differences among the compensation systems at places like IDEO, McKinsey, GE, and Procter & Gamble, all are similar in that — to be treated as a star — you need to help others succeed, not just do great individual work.
Along these lines,I am trying to come-up with a fun and instructive way to show the damage that selfish superstars do (for a current project). I am trying to come up with something as fun and useful as the ARSE (Asshole Self-Assessment Rating Exam), which is closing in on 200,000 completions. The working title is the SSI (Selfish Superstar Inventory), and I am looking to generate about 20 diverse – including humorous — items. This post is a plea for help. In particular:
1. If you have a better title, I would love to hear it. The SSI doesn't quite sing like ARSE.
2. I'd love suggestions for items on the quiz. To give you a sense of the kind of thing I am experimenting with:
People we hire:
Love to brag about their accomplishments.
Say “we” but think “me.”
See their peers as competitors, even “the enemy.”
People who get ahead here:
Stomp on colleagues on the way to the top
Are always loved by their superiors, but often despised
by their peers and subordinates
Ask for help, but never seem to give it
Don’t need to play well with others.
Constantly push
for more goodies for themselves, but never go to bat for colleagues.
Note I am in the early stages of this project, so please don't hesitate to suggest a different structure and, in the spirit of brainstorming, go for wild ideas. I think I am making things too tame thus far. Thanks! I am looking forward to your ideas
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