The Dilbert Principle

- A Cubicle’s Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions

Publisher’s review (Simplified by me):

In The Dilbert Principle, Scott Adams fearlessly acknowledges an eternal truth: "If you've worked in the business world for more than ten minutes, you know it's an immense exercise in the absurd."

Totally fabricated statistics, free-wheeling research (mostly letters and e-mail messages from his devoted readers), and highly subjective first-hand reports of his own experiences in "the cubicle" provide Adams with compelling evidence that the "Peter Principle" (competent workers are promoted until they reached their level of incompetence) has been supplanted by the "Dilbert Principle": the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management."

Adams exposes the impact of The Dilbert Principle on the day-to-day doings at the workplace and reveals in graphic terms:

 The fine art of business communications: how to convey one's worthiness for promotion without accidentally transferring any useful information.

 A definitive analysis of the meeting as performance art, including detailed descriptions of such common characters as the master of the obvious, the well- intentioned sadist, the whining martyr, the rambling man, and the sleeper.

 Featuring plain English definitions of empowerment, market segmentation, performance review, management consulting and team-building exercises.

As it tickles readers to the point of uncontrollable laughter and awakens a chorus of "Hey, that sounds just like my office," it smartly points the way to a saner and a more productive work environment for employees and managers alike. Original Review by the Publsiher: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0887308589/reviews/ ref=pm_dp_ln_b_1/104-3252385-2439104

From the Publisher

Ever since Machiavelli set out the principles of princehood, the public has been hoodwinked into believing that with the right advice on swimming with the sharks, managing in one minute, and searching for excellence, accompanied by the application of reason and logic, success would be theirs. In The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads, and Other Workplace Afflictions, Scott Adams finally puts things in perspective, fearlessly acknowledging an eternal truth: "If you've worked in the business world for more than ten minutes, you know it's an immense exercise in the absurd." Unlike other business books, Adams actually illustrates the truth in action: examples of his hilarious comic strip, Dilbert, are packed into these pages, a "vision" statement par excellence.

Ripping aside the flimsy corporate curtain, Adams exposes the impact of The Dilbert Principle on the day-to-day doings at the workplace and reveals in graphic terms:

The hidden symbolism of office furniture, for example, why a secretary's chair never has arm rests, and of dress codes, wherein a necktie equals a leash, panty hose equal leg irons, and high heels are the undeniable mark of a masochist. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

The skills, know-how, and blatant self-deception required to create a business plan entirely free of the constraints of reality.

The fine art of business communications: how to convey one's worthiness for promotion without accidentally transferring any useful information.

The low-down on gaining wealth and personal power at the expense of people who are studying how to be team players.

A definitive analysis of the meeting as performance art, including detailed descriptions of such common characters as the master of the obvious, the well- intentioned sadist, the whining martyr, the rambling man, and the sleeper. An invaluable lexicon of trends and trendy terms, featuring plain English definitions of empowerment, market segmentation, performance review, management consulting (with an eye-opening dissection of "alternate scenarios"), and team- building exercises.

Scott Adams has his finger on the pulse of American business practices today, from no-fail employee strategies for success in such vital areas as organizing a workspace to assure interruption-free naps, making sure meetings go your way (and go quickly), and padding the budget, to the most accurate list ever published of the ten great lies of management and an in-depth examination of how they are camouflaged in such optimistically proclaimed "programs" as employee recognition, change management, (the once-ubiquitous) Total Quality Management, and (the now- ubiquitous) reengineering. And, as it tickles readers to the point of uncontrollable laughter and awakens a chorus of "Hey, that sounds just like my office," it smartly points the way to a saner and a more productive work environment for employees and managers alike. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.