A critique of corporate tact and forced positivity in workplace culture
By
Published on January 14, 2024
Summary
A brief, fragmented personal reflection on the concept of "tact" in workplace culture. The author critiques corporate norms that encourage indirect communication, forced positivity, and superficial small talk, arguing these practices are misguided. The piece is cut off mid-sentence, suggesting it may be incomplete or a draft.
Source
Key quotes
· 5 pulledCompanies culture us to be corporate zombies for our protection.
Don't say anything directly, you'll get into a conflict that's not good for anyone
Always phrase things positively, because negativity is bad
Make small talk once in a while! If you do it enough times, you might be invited to make a big talk
All of this is wrong.
You might also wanna read
Workplace Communication and the Privilege of Grammar Expectations
The article explores how workplace communication norms and expectations around grammar and formality often reflect privilege and power dynam
Critical Perspective on Technology Executives and Modern Tech Industry Culture
The article presents a critical perspective on technology executives and the tech industry, expressing deep skepticism and resentment toward
Understanding Normalization of Deviance in Workplace Cultures
The article explores the concept of 'normalization of deviance' in workplace cultures, where practices that would be considered problematic

The Exhausting Ritual of Softening Women's Voices: One Founder's 17-Year Reflection on Workplace Patronage
The article recounts the author's experience of posting a carefully worded, disclaimer-laden question on LinkedIn about a pattern of patroni
Corporate Jargon Correlates with Poor Judgment, While English's Contradictory Words Showcase Linguistic Richness
Cory Doctorow discusses the correlation between corporate jargon and poor judgment, while celebrating the malleability and nuance of the Eng
pluralistic.net·3mo agoA critical rant on Berkeley's AI culture and tech scene
The author expresses a highly critical and emotional perspective on the tech/AI culture in Berkeley and San Francisco, describing it as a cu

Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.