Paranoia Succeeds

Paranoia succeeds. How do you know? It goes like this:

Create an atmosphere where Buzz feels that everything he says or does is undermined by someone else. Buzz is on the Veep level, so that "everyone else" starts pretty high. Despite 27 years of experience and accomplishment, ignore him when he speaks - or leave him out of the loop entirely. Reduce his staff to a pitiful few. The point is simple: Retire, Buzz, and get out of our way. However, since he's not taking the hint, make him beside the point.

But, being competent, Buzz can still find useful things to do. Annoying, but OK: keep ignoring him and maybe he'll go away.

This is where paranoia works on your side, because no matter how competent and grounded Buzz is, he cannot help but notice what is happening.

So now comes a situation where those few remaining loyalistas underneath Buzz sometimes, as in the past, disagree with him. In the past, this was no big deal. In fact, it led to discussions, exchanges of ideas and often a synthesis of new, better ideas.

Now, though, dissenting thought from below is Betrayal if uttered aloud to anyone else.

"We have to present a united front," his voice mail message croaks electronically. "When you disagree with me . . ."

To his credit, Buzz is straightforward and confronts the person. Then, after the first few minutes of his angered hurt, when Buzz talks with the person it is back to old times and they are problem-solving, not accusing.

But the bad taste is left in the mouth. Buzz is now looking at everything they say or do with a worried expression on his face. And, from the best motives, Buzz's remaining subordinates worry about hurting Buzz's position. So they start to hold back their opinions. What was the strength of Buzz's management skills is eroding. Oh, it's subtle and slow and certainly not an overnight phenomenon, but it is eroding.

And the paranoia grows.

What a management tactic!