Parasites, Parrots and Pissing on the tree
By Thomas W. Kopf
We all know one; maybe you are one (If so, keep reading because you
might learn something about yourself that will benefit your career). And, even if we don’t recognize someone as
such, we likely have been the victim of one.
The characteristics I speak of are often found in individuals who either
don’t have the skills or the confidence to produce anything of value on their
own. They are the parasites and parrots
of the business world, and can often be found pissing on the tree.
See if you can recognize someone like this.
Unlike collaborators that feed on the energy of the group, parasites
feed on the efforts of other people.
They hang in the shadows until someone who has ideas and action produce
something of value. Then they appear and
claim the work as their own. They do
this in subtle ways. They might claim
leadership of a team that, under their direction, came up with fabulous ideas
even though their actions did not contribute to the team effort. They might offer up conceptual statements
that support the idea someone else has created (leading to the illusion that
they themselves have created something and the actual creator simply executed
their idea). Often, they insist on being
the sole communicator in order to control the conversation allowing them to
take credit for other’s actions.
Regardless of how parasites achieve their goal, the result is often the
same. They suck the lifeblood out of the
team and gain their prominence at the expense of those who actually produce the
work. Over time, the team’s productivity
is diminished, as real producers only reluctantly work for parasites. Team members need to know their efforts are
being appreciated and recognized. Working for a parasite creates animosity and
resentment. It can destroy the creative
spark of the team. And, it reduces
effectiveness --the producers are less motivated to produce without any
recognition of their own contribution.
Unfortunately, the subtlety of the parasite’s approach can be difficult
to spot. So many are often unaware of the parasite’s insidious presence and can’t
respond appropriately.
Equally as damaging are the parrots.
Often they are parasites as well, and their story is the same. But instead of stealing other people’s work
efforts they steal their words and ideas.
I once witnessed a pre-meeting that reviewed responsibilities and
talking points for a major presentation.
The parrot listened attentively, acknowledging their individual role in
the presentation. Then, they proceeded to communicate all of the presenter’s
talking points in the final presentation, leaving the remaining team
speechless. The parrot looked like a
genius and the other presenters looked like hired help.
Often, the parrot will listen to the ideas of the group, wait a few
minutes and re-state the idea as their own.
Team members will stare incredulously while the parrot fully believes
they are having an original thought.
Even when confronted with the reality that someone else said the same
thing just a few minutes earlier, the parrot can’t believe they didn’t think of
it first. They hide behind the pretense
of being thoughtful, only to take what they can at the right moment.
Where there is controversy, the parrot has a similar strategy. They
look to see which way the wind is blowing and set their sail in that direction.
They will the present the consensus
approach as a major revelation. The parrot’s expectation is that everyone will
acknowledge their insight and will believe they lead the group to
enlightenment. Once again, the damage
can be irreversible. Team members feel
cheated and trivialized.
The last characteristic shared by these individuals is the concept of
pissing on the tree. Simply put, this is
the act of following someone else’s action with the same, or similar, action to
give the impression that it was their action in the first place. It mirrors the way dogs will piss on a tree
to mark their territory. It’s common to
see two dogs taking turns to be the last one to piss on the same tree to claim
it as their own. Just as the last dog
standing gets to claim the tree, the violator gets to claim the words, or
ideas, or actions as their own. While
our scoundrel may feel better about themselves, it often leaves the client very
confused.
It’s hard to discern if people do these things intentionally or are
oblivious to their actions. It’s
disturbing to think that this is an intentional strategy to promote oneself
above others, but it is equally disturbing that professionals in today’s world
can be so out of touch with their own actions and how they undermine the team. These are the actions of desperate
individuals. They either have no
original thought or lack confidence in their ability. Often, they may not realize exactly what they
are doing, or why.
For the benefit of the team, it’s important to expose these people for who
they are. Regardless of the motivations,
these actions are counterproductive and potential time-bombs for any organization. Talented people will abandon a leadership group
that allows this activity to proliferate.
It is up to each team member to identify these parasites and parrots,
and stop the pissing on the tree.
