Showing posts with label Snakes in Suits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snakes in Suits. Show all posts

August 29, 2007

Psychopaths and Enterprise Architecture

In user-centric EA we are very focused on meeting the needs and requirements of the user community. However we need to beware of the fact that some users are "psychopaths" and do not have the best interests of the organization at heart.

In the book Snakes in Suits - When Psychopaths Go To Work by Babiak & Hare the authors identify these ill-intentioned people in the organization and why the organization tolerates them or is fooled by them.

"Psychopaths manipulate the system - they are selfish care only about themselves with little regard for fairness or equity. They allow the responsibility of leadership and the perks of power to override their moral sense. Some have embraced the mantra that greed is good and that success at any cost to others is justifiable and even desirable. And at the extreme some of these people have a true personality disorder rooted in lying, manipulation, deceit, egocentricity, callousness, and other potentially destructive traits."

As enterprise architects, we need to be continually on the lookout for what's best for the enterprise and not get sidetracked by those with ulterior motives or personal agendas.

Have you ever experienced a situation like this?


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