In his comedy career, Al Franken used to play a character named Stuart Smalley, a self-improvement advocate noted for his affirmations. One was “It’s easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world.”
That’s both humorous and wise. Unfortunately, our society and many workplaces began to adopt the world-carpeting approach. As with many utopian ideas, the carpet-laying was accompanied by coercion that affected the innocent as well as their thorny colleagues.
In a future essay, I’ll be addressing why employers need to fire jerks and bullies. It is jarring how many organizations keep people who drive off many good employees and routinely ruin the workday for those who stay. That is the subject for another day.
For now, however, let’s address the way organizations have inadvertently tolerated and even encouraged the “gotchas” – people who seem to search for insults and offenses where none are intended or present.