Do YOU work WITH, or FOR a overpaid imbecile? Part I

I imagine everyone can say yes to that question at least at one point of their careers. If you think about it, that means there are a lot of overpaid imbeciles currently clogging up the workforce and occupying positions that many of us would be better suited for. However, usually such are promoted to these positions by other overpaid imbeciles who have been over-promoted. And thus, the great circle of ever-increasing idiocy at Corporate America continues to grow. Given the growing reports of competent people finding themselves increasingly unemployed, one has to wonder if the current economic crisis is actually contributing to the increase of blatant stupidity in Corporate America? At what point will there be so much incompetence at the management level that companies simply fail?!?

Oh, wait, some of that has already happened and the news media covered it quite well...I believe there were quite a few at AIG....but has the idiocy stopped?

But what exactly IS an overpaid imbecile(OI), and how is he/she defined? Can this crippling affliction be slowed, or even reversed? This bears some thought. And keep in mind, an overpaid imbecile(OI) is NOT your co-worker who did a single dumb thing...we ALL do dumb things at times, its called being human. I mean the truly moronic things, things that are constantly repeated, because the overpaid imbecile (OI) thinks this thing, event, or action is the greatest thing ever thought or did, and because the overpaid imbecile (OI) is overpaid (and usually over-promoted), AND is in a position to FORCE you to follow their lead.

Consider this...I would bet you could easily find overpaid imbeciles(OI's) in the financial markets, in the management of the banks that need TARP funds, in the housing finance field, and in our government agencies, local, state and federal. You may have even heard or seen them on the news. Does that help you visualize the entity we are trying to define?

Usually, there is not a single trait that classifies an OI. It is more plausible that there are a number of combined traits that "create" person who meets the OI criteria. I will try to relate some of the traits my observations have lead me to believe can combine to create a OI.

1. Overuse of "power words" in almost everything said or written. Only an OI would use the word "strategize" in every other sentence. If someone has, openly displayed, a copy of "Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors" on their desk or bookshelf, suspect them of being an OI, or at least an OI-In-Training.
2. A fixation on the belief that flavored coffee would be a huge boost to morale, versus, say, something as simple as a clear org chart. Be very concerned you have encountered an OI if any org chart inquiry is always answered with a "Well, we are all ultimately one team..."
3. Because most OI's have meager technical skills, most OI's and OI's-in-training will attempt to over-compensate by subjecting everyone they can to a deluge of "soft skill" seminars and training sessions, in the almost fanatical belief that their "superior" soft skills will cover-up their inability to figure their way out of a paper bag, much less actually solve a technical problem.
4. Because of trait number 3, OI's will also firmly believe in consultants, despite that a consultant is quite often there to "con" and "insult" whomever hired them (acknowledgement to Scott Adams for that joke). Try to think like an OI for the briefest second (no more than a second, too much"OI-type" thought has caused brain damage)... after all, if they (the OI) can't understand something, something must be wrong with whatever it is, and competent people could not possibly be within existing staff (it would make sense to an OI that the competent people would have pumped their resume with empty accomplishments and left), otherwise whatever it was would make sense to the OI. Think about this one a moment, and your own experiences...keep thinking.....see what I mean?

More to follow as the thoughts flow forth....