The Liars Poker effect

Last week I attended the Oxford Business Book Festival. It was my first time there and most of the presentations and discussions were really interesting. One that got my attention was by Laura Empson, the author of the book Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas. The book is supposed to be an expose of what life is like in a professional services firm (think investment banking, consultancy, accountancy, that kind of thing), so that new recruits are better prepared for the world of work.

What got my interest was Laura’s observation that these types of companies prey on individuals who could be described as “insecure over-achievers”. These are the people that see presenteeism as a badge of honour. These are the people that work extremely long hours — through the night and into the weekend — and who are ultimately never satisfied by their achievements. The book is in part trying to move professional services firms away from this ethos.

But my thoughts are that the book may actually be counterproductive. Instead of changing the culture, it may actually further serve to embed it. First, new graduates may read the book and think that as an “insecure over-achiever” this is exactly the right environment for me to pursue. Second, it may embolden firms outside of the professions to use the same staff marketing strategies with their prospective employees. And so the…