The Wrong Advice

So I read this article in the Washington Post last weekend:

--Surviving the Storm. Downsizing. Buyouts. Layoffs. In some fields the job market is getting nasty. It's time to adopt a few strategies to avoid getting cut -- or bounce back quickly if you do.-- (if you need a username/pw, go to www.bugmenot.com)

I intentionally refrain from derogatory commentary about anyone and anything on this blog because

a.) It's not good form

b.) Anything you write on the Internets is basically public record. You don't want to write something with emotion only to regret it later.

c.) Judgements/criticism imply weakness. Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill didn't become how they are know by saying stuff like "Who he think he is! He ain't all that!"

Anyway, I was surprised to read this article. There was a lot of common sense, I mean good advice, in it but there was one published writer quoted who threw me back a bit.

.....But that's just the beginning of your labors, said Stephen Viscusi, author of the new book, "Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work." (Collins Business, $19.95). You need to make sure you are the employee the boss most wants to keep.

In sometimes crude terms, his book spells out the particulars of effective ingratiation. "It's all about creating the illusion of working hard and getting along with your boss, and a little old-fashioned ass-kissing or brown-nosing," he said.

His four-part strategy (be visible, be easy, be useful, be ready) is equal parts mom and Machiavelli. It's not always what you want to hear."

Now, I have no problems with brown-nosing, but "creating the illusion of working hard?" Sorry Mr. Stephen Viscusi, but you are encouraging the slackers. I don't know about you, but most people can spot an "illusionist" a mile away.

I was speaking with my friend Vincent who's sister-in-law lived in Japan. Evidently, it is a source of pride to be the first one into work at like 6:00 a.m. First one in, and last to leave. She also said that these same people open up the newspaper and read it until 8:30 am. When I started working after college, there was a gentleman in my office who 'worked' like 12 hours a day but did maybe three hours of actual work. I think he spent the remaining nine hours telling people how busy he was.

Anyway, enough of the criticism. I wanna know who I think I is.