How to Recognize Type A’s

This is a funny analysis about people who try to command, control, and influence people. Excerpts below.

The guys (and they’re usually guys) who have read a few how-to books, perhaps attended a management skills seminar or two, and now think they are on the fast-track to success-money-power. They see themselves as master schemers, and other people as pawns in their power game. They have no friends, only ‘contacts’.

Only One in Control

One way in which the schemer maintains the appearance of control is by making out that the surrounding people are losing it.

For example, a schemer may tell someone to ‘take it easy’, even when that person is taking it easy, or say ‘Relax, we have plenty of time,’ even when the other person is relaxing and is well aware that there is plenty of time. Other typical phrases are ‘It’s important that we maintain a sense of focus here,’ and ‘Let’s keep our minds on the task at hand.’

Inventing a Crisis

One way to do this is to attempt to prolong a crisis that has long since passed: for example, schemers like to step in after arguments are over and ask everyone to calm down. Another way is to keep creating non-existent deadlines that must be met. A crisis can be found in almost anything if the schemer looks hard enough: a missing teacup, dirty laundry, a delayed bus. All that matters is that the schemer gets there first and makes himself look in control.