Thread regarding Baker Hughes Inc. layoffs

During the downturn, to be nice will not get you far on the ladder or protect you from layoff. The fact is, me-first behavior is highly adaptive in certain professional situations, just like selflessness is in others. Sneer at the customer. Keep your colleagues on edge. Claim credit. Speak first. Put your feet on the table. Withhold approval. Instill fear. Interrupt. Ask for more. And by all means, take that last doughnut. These traits will fast track you in the oilfield corporate world. It is very unfortunate that narcissistic characters of an asshole are successful in the competing world. The asshole (1) allows himself to enjoy special advantages and does so systematically; (2) does this out of an entrenched sense of entitlement; and (3) is immunized by his sense of entitlement against the complaints of other people. One can learn from Steve Jobs of Apple; A little of jerkiness can be helpful. As the business scholar Adam Grant puts it, “What I’ve become convinced of is that nice guys and gals really do finish last.”