. In Praise of Workplace Cynicism by Tom Terez I got a call last week from my friend Dave. Most of the time I love these calls. Dave has a massive IQ, a sharp wit, a ton of interests, and a rich life outside of work. Just don't ask him about life inside of work. If you do, you'll be treated to a ten-minute (at least) rant in which he'll describe ten (at least) things that are going wrong and how it's all because of those %&@# managers and what he'd do if he were in charge is blah blah blah blah blah. Dave is one part Einstein and one part Rodney Dangerfield. When it comes to the topic of work, he's as charming as a dental drill. In fact, if you look in the dictionary, here's what you'll find: cynical -- adj. -- 1. believing that people are motivated in all their actions only by selfishness 2. contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives 3. sarcastic, sneering 4. Dave Working with Dave must be a real test in human endurance. He seems to despise work, yet he always wants to talk about it. I'll bet the watercooler conversations in his workplace are -- well, poorly attended. Who'd want to hang out with a person whose work-related comments are chronically shrill? You can almost hear the chorus: "Let's give him his own damn watercooler in the far-off corner and have a separate one for the rest of us." Wait, not so fast! Maybe the Daves of the work world have pretty good reasons for being so cynical. Maybe their cynicism could be -- dare I say it? -- helpful. Perhaps we should seek them out and engage them in dialogue. Consider the following: Cynics are made, not born. Have you ever heard of a "cynic gene"? Have you met any toddlers who are "contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives"? Can you recall having any of your own "Dave moments" way back in the earliest years of your life? I'll bet not. Cynics usually have good reasons for being that way. Ask Dave why he's so worked up over work. He'll go on and on about his latest issues -- to such a degree that you'll want to stop listening and start backing away. But if you press forward with a few questions about his work history, things will start to make sense. You'll learn that Dave has generated plenty of improvement ideas over the years, yet most of them have been put on the shelf. He wanted to attend advanced college courses related to his work, but a committee decided against it. He served on a team that developed a new training program, but the boss took all the credit. Petty grievances? In some respects, perhaps. But it's easy to see how one thing after another can make us negative. Cynics aren't slackers. It's tempting to label the cynics among us as people who simply don't want to carry their load. They're on the sidelines, right? They're too busy taking potshots at the workplace instead of stepping in to make things better. Okay, perhaps they spend more time on the fringe than in the fray. But deep down, cynics aren't less ambitious or hardworking than folks who always see the cup as half full. I know quite a few Daves, and when it comes to rolling up the proverbial sleeves and getting a job done, I'd match them against anyone. Indifference is worse than cynicism. We've all seen workplaces where people check their brains at the door. Do you want employees who mindlessly perform their tasks -- or people who still retain some passion about their work life? Do you want a culture of denial where concerns are covered up -- or an honest appraisal of reality? Do you want a workplace where everyone always goes with the flow -- or a place where people sometimes go against the grain? What would be best for the organization in the long run? Cynics can point the way to improvement. Many workplaces quietly exile the Daves of the world. But given all of the above, perhaps we should do just the opposite and seek them out. On teams, their different way of seeing things can sharpen ideas and spark new ones. In work areas, they can serve as a devil's advocate, getting us to question (finally!) our old procedures and processes. In entire organizations, they can serve as a kind of B.S. indicator, giving voice to what's likely on the mind of the silent employee majority. This is not to say that working with Dave can be loads of fun. But it can be tremendously worthwhile and productive. Heck, even a dental drill serves an essential purpose. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Terez (TomTerez.com) is an international consultant and frequent speaker on organizational performance (BetterWorkplaceNow.com) and personal excellence (InnerBest.com) Copyright 2000 Crain Communications, Inc. Copyright © 2008 Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-488-9721. 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