The Office Snoutster

The Office Snoutster is an annoying individual that can unfortunately be seen in many organizations. They are commonly found in senior government or corporate roles following many years of successful snoutsting.

So, how do you recognize a Snoutster?
These individuals, be they men or women, are quite cunning and have an ability to hide their snoutster skills from most of their friends and work colleagues. However, there are some common behavioural clues that usually gives them away.

Manipulative: They are extremely manipulative, lazy and prefer to rely on others to do their work for them rather than seeing the need to get their own hands dirty.
Hunter Leeches: They can quickly target a strategic person that will assist them in progressing their own personal career objectives. Once identified, they hang around them like a leech, put their hungry teeth into them, and then suck like hell for their own wellbeing until their usefulness is no longer required. They then seek out a new sucking target and repeat the process.
Clothing: They will dress to deliberately seek praise and approval from any person that may provide potential leech nourishment.

Why the term Snoutster?
Consider the traits of an overweight pig that joyfully uses their nose to smell out an opportunity, then sticks it in with gusto leaving a monumental mess for others to clean up.

How does one become a Snoutster?
Most Snoutsters typically have had a favoured upbringing where they are repeatedly spoilt and receive ongoing praise from their parents, relatives and friends without them having to make an effort, thereby feeding their ‘leecherous’ cravings for personal fulfilment and ongoing sustenance. Once accustomed to a decadent no-work lifestyle, they quickly realize that the shrewd use of their snout is the only way for them to survive in the office, and in their other life endeavours.

Can the Snoutster be removed from your office?
Yes, but only when their manager finally recognizes that the Office Snoutster adds no recognizable financial value, and that they are also a massive toxic emotional drain on their direct reports and other employees. The required solution is a quick termination and speedy exit from the office.

So should you know of there being a Snoutster in your office, quickly root them out and blunt their oinking snout cravings before they create immeasurable damage to your organisation and your colleagues.

Trends – Fact or Fiction?

Let’s start by considering two well-known quotations; “Knowledge is Power” (Sir Francis Bacon), and “Thinking maketh it so” (William Shakespeare).

Many of us in our private and business lives like to keep up to date with the latest trends, be they social, economic or just for fun. We, as curious individuals, like to know the key drivers that are influencing the now, and what may happen in the future.

We typically use this knowledge to make strategic decisions, to feel part of the crowd, or perhaps to simply equip ourselves with riveting dinner table conversation content to impress and stimulate our guests and friends. So yes, our awareness of trends does indeed potentially give us command over many things and people.

But what if this knowledge, derived from our understanding and belief of a trend is based on fiction? To put it bluntly, the author fabricated the trend, and then communicated it widely through various specifically selected channels, such as social media where their unassuming followers accepted it as fact without any reason for concern or doubt? Would their belief make this trend real, particularly if many believed it so?

Just look at how various individuals or organizations (private or political) disseminate information to a target audience for their own personal gains. Many a politician, in the past and today, have done so with great success. Unfortunately, it was only with hindsight that the trend was identified as fictional folly.

Many information seekers now look to artificial intelligent (A.I.) search engines (ChatGPT, Copilot, Grok, etc) for their insights and recommendations to various trends instead of using human intellect and analysis. The A.I. output being readily accepted as fact with minimal interrogation or suspicion.  

So how do we filter the fact from the fiction before we make them so?

The answer being a combination of independent quantitative and qualitative analysis based on the collective experience of many people who collaborate, discuss, interrogate and challenge what they observe, read and understand. Yes, it takes time, but it will hopefully uncover the fiction from the fact.

However, some people happily accept the fiction and will gleefully follow the false trend like a ‘lemming that is about to fall off a cliff’. Unfortunately, it is these gullible individuals that are commonly the target of the unscrupulous.

There are many trends emerging and currently in operation today. May I suggest that we relook at the two quotations mentioned at the beginning? Maybe they should read as ‘Knowledge could be Power and We decide whether to make it so”?

Is it time for an ‘Age Coup?’

Age. It’s a complex thing, the importance of which seems to change frequently depending on where you are in your life.

It is said that age is just a number; so why in the Western world do we commonly characterise everyone according to their year of birth? Sure, there are many sound, well researched legal and practical aspects that both should and need to be adhered to, but why is age such an important factor in the workforce?

When you are at Primary School, those who you knew in High School seemed very worldly and sophisticated. You saw your parents as old and out of touch with the worldly and social needs of your own generation, not to mention your grandparents, who fell into the absolutely ancient classification.

But consider how your age perspectives changed when you yourself entered the workforce for the first time. All of a sudden you saw your parents and others with an increased number of years under their belts as wise and possessing a valued experience, and some you even gave esteemed oracle status.

In the business world, people in their early twenties are typically deemed to be naïve and lack the requisite knowledge, whereas people in their sixties or seventies are seen as being ready for retirement and quickly put out to the vast unemployment pasture.

I believe it’s high time for a long overdue ’age coup‘ where an individual’s mindset and willingness to learn and/or mentor those around them should be the main criteria, instead of how old they are on their employment contract.

To accomplish this, we need to redefine the term ‘age’ and replace it with a combination of a willingness to learn and to share experiences, regardless of whether obtained in the workplace, or via life’s complex journey.

However, to do this there needs to be a mindset change within the corporate world, particularly with in HR where age is commonly seen as just a start or finish date of employment, not a potential indication of longer-term value.

Yes, it’s time for an ‘age coup’ as there are many willing participants keen, able and wanting to join the revolution.