Here's my theory about meetings and life: the three things you can't fake are erections, competence and creativity. That's why meetings become toxic - they put uncreative people in a situation in which they have to be something they can never be. And the more effort they put into concealing their inabilities, the more toxic the meeting becomes.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Meetings fail when uncreative people are forced to pretend they are creative, leading to toxic environments.
- In plain terms
- Workplaces get toxic when people can fake creativity or competence.
- What can you take from it?
- Authenticity in work is essential to avoid toxic cultures.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we force people to fake competence?
- Can creativity be mandated?
Another view
Some structures require pretending to function.
More from Douglas Coupland
It can be really fun to go down with the ship.
Permalink to quote #82 'You have to admit, half the people who work here are mildly autistic; poor social skills, the ability to obsess on anything numerical or repetitive, the odd o…
Permalink to quote #84 Chances are you feel superior to almost everyone you work with - however, they probably feel the same way about you.
Permalink to quote #81
Related quotes
All good work is done in defiance of management.
Bob WoodwardBob Woodward quote #1 Music has taken a bad turn; these young people have no idea how to write a melody, they just give us shavings, which they dress up to look like a lion's mane a…
Richard WagnerRichard Wagner quote #2 I don't do art to address other people but to address myself. I've never done art with a thought of being a professional artist who makes a living by selling h…
Robert FulghumRobert Fulghum quote #2