Monday, October 24, 2016

SSH in the workplace

I'd posted this at VP, but it occurred to me that it belonged here, for the record. SSH = Socio-Sexual Hierarchy.

One of the challenges of running any organization, be it professional or volunteer, is dealing with the quirks of its various members, most of which are based on their socio-sexual status. Alphas are going to have inappropriate affairs, Betas are going to get promoted over their heads, Lambdas are going to talk relentlessly, and inappropriately, about their personal predilections and social lives, Gammas are going to preen, posture, pout, and occasionally sabotage projects and people, Sigmas are going to create the occasional intra-organizational upheaval, for good or ill, and Omegas are going to get themselves accused of sexual harassment.

That's all normal. You have to expect it as long as you're going to work with human beings. The key is learning to anticipate the problems and head them off at the pass.

Don't let the Alpha hire a hot secretary, or at the very least, be sure she isn't a married woman. Keep the Beta in a well-paid supporting position and give him a young subordinate Alpha to help him make decisions and don't promote him over his head.

Put the Lambda near the women where he'll entertain them. Try to steer the Sigma's idiosyncracies in a direction where he'll help the organization rather than harm it; they make great leaders of skunk works and horrendously bad middle managers. Give the Gammas tasks that flatter their egos, shield them from any criticism that isn't absolutely necessary, and keep them far away from any managerial responsibilities. Stash the Omegas where they can't creep out the women.

Most importantly, keep everyone out of the way of the Deltas who actually do most of the meaningful work. Remember, if they're not actively assisting the Deltas, they're obstructing them. This goes for the women too.

28 comments:

Nate said...

It seems the primary benefit of gammas is to remind Alphas to appreciate deltas.

uriel alexis said...

Is there a sketch of the female SSH in the same model you've made the male one here?

Derrick Bonsell said...

uriel, it always existed. It's called the 1-10 scale.

Aziz P. said...

Expand this and you've got a book. Please

Aeoli Pera said...

This is really excellent advice.

Most importantly, keep everyone out of the way of the Deltas who actually do most of the meaningful work. Remember, if they're not actively assisting the Deltas, they're obstructing them.

I think you should distinguish between the constructive and non-constructive Deltas. Most Deltas aren't highly productive, but most highly productive people are Deltas. Just spitballing, I'd say:

40-50% of the male population is Delta
20% of the general population is highly productive (Pareto 80/20 rule)
15 out of 20 highly productive people are Delta males

These estimates are based on my various food industry jobs.

Aeoli Pera said...

The other 5/20 highly productive people defy generalization, so don't even try.

Hammer6 Actual said...

Here I thought we were going to have a discussion of the proper use of SSH connection etiquette in the work place.

Two rules I have validated over the years:
<1> NO COMMITTEES. Be part of the solution, or STFU. There is no need to sit around and discuss, save that for group therapy on your own time.
<2> BE CLEAR. If you are asking for input, ask for it and listen. If you are giving instruction, follow up and ensure it is done. Most people seem to think everything is "Suggestions". SMH

Peregrine John said...

No, Uriel's right: Various ranks have very different reactions to reality (socially, etc.) to those on either side of them, even in a straight-up numeric order. It's been seen and discussed for a long time, but having it specified would be very useful for the newer lads.

Escoffier said...

Aeoli as someone with more than thirty years in the restaurant biz I get what you're saying but disagree. When I started out there was always a delta who actually ran the kitchen. The guy who knew all the recipes, techniques etc. and had very little interest in advancement. A classic Delta.

The big thing that changed was illegal immigration. Now it's essentially impossible to make a living in kitchens so Delta types avoid that line of work. Also diversity hiring has made kitchens unendurable to most Delta's as the diversity hire manager's must prove they are smarter than the Delta's below the. Literally my experience in my last job for two years. Every time my Nigerian manager got out of my way the kitchen would get shiny and he would receive kudos, and he knew this to be true. But alas he had to 'help me' and every time he did something would go terribly wrong.

justaguy said...

Alphas and Sigmas are normally very hard working and well above average intelligence to boot. However, there are not many Alphas nor Sigmas, but their influence can greatly aid or hurt any organization depending on if they are pulling in the same direction as the team. For larger bureaucracies, such as the Pentagon, where there are always competing priorities and goals, they are prized for ability to win the internecine staff battles that are unavoidable--to win your least priority programs need to get funding from their priority programs, so the survival of the fittest (or most staff savvy) programs results occur.

Kat said...

The main thing I've learned for women in the workplace is never put 4s and 5s in charge of 9s and 10s.

Anonymous said...

Is the 10-1 scale really as good a behavior predictor as the SSH? I can see how it would predict some behavior, especially as regards confidence, competition and jealousy, but would it tell generally what a woman of a given number is going to act like in a given situation the same way the Greek letters will for men? I'm not asking to imply I'm an exception or anything to any such rules; it's just the fact that a man's SS ranking is based largely on behavior and attitude while a woman's number is based almost solely on appearance. You're going to have (relatively) smart and stupid, introvert and extrovert tens-ones and I'd think they'd behave somewhat differently. In any case, I'd be interested in learning more.

Bob Loblaw said...

The main thing I've learned for women in the workplace is never put 4s and 5s in charge of 9s and 10s.

So true, and also so unavoidable. It takes time to get promoted up the ranks, and women who were quite attractive when they joined the company get less and less attractive as they move up.

I had a manager who was beloved by all the men in the office for being both a great manager and a great person. But she didn't get along with the women under her nearly as well, and the hotter they were the more likely a bad relationship would develop. She was probably about a nine in her prime, but this was twenty years and thirty pounds later.

Fenton Wood said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fenton Wood said...

Vox's post sounds like the premise of an office sitcom! Something un-PC or pre-1980. Good writers have an intuitive understanding of this stuff.

Kat said...

@Bob Loblaw I've mostly found that the older women at work are fine with the HYTs if they are happy in motherhood. It seems there's a mental process of removing yourself from the sexual marketplace that these women go through, which eliminates the competition issues. But not nearly enough women make this transition successfully.

Anonymous said...

The main issue is the one that Aeoli highlighted: get out of the Delta's way -- they are the guys who do the work. Women? Some, particularly in male orientated systems, become team players and are akin. But if there are too many women, then there is ongoing competition fo status points that never, ever ends. They shit test each other.

Or as my sons say: at their boys only high school the boys broke all the lab equipment. At the girls high school the equipment was perfect, but they broke each other.

Ideally, keep the girls away from the deltas. Particularly the skunk works. The alternative is setting up small groups that will work for projects, and never asking your Beta superiors for permission to do so.

Harambe said...

I thought you were gonna explain to us how to use the Linux Secure Shell console

Aeoli Pera said...

Escoffier, it sounds like you're talking about a higher tier of restaurants than I am. Nobody ever advocated for MOAR women and Nigerians doing the salad station at Applebee's. There's no status in it.

Except for the giant influx of Spanish speakers, things are as they always were: the girls work up front in customer service with one or two metrosexuals/homos thrown in, and the men make all the food. The shift leaders (or whatever the noncom equivalent is) tend to be the high-functioning women and the general managers are men.

Aeoli Pera said...

Jobs are a revolving door for blacks, they never got the memo that you have to show up every day you're scheduled.

Jed Mask said...

Lol... LOVE THIS! You got the whole human male "socio-sexual hierarchy" of the workplace worked out. Good read.

Jed Mask said...

Sidenote: Had no clue what "skunk works" meant 'til I looked it up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunkworks_project
_______________________

Good to know. Thanks.

Jed Mask said...

"Jobs are a revolving door for blacks, they never got the memo that you have to show up every day you're scheduled."

Smh... Although you are correct about a bad "stigma" among black folks: what's with the "black bashing" here from commenters on AG?

I don't go around "talking trash", "mocking" or "slighting" the white man online, in real life or anywhere; I digress, let the folks talk their talk.

Not all is helpful or edifying is what I'm saying.

Say, here's food for thought: instead of (repeatedly) pointing out the flaws, failures and "negatives" of black people; how about your list some POSITIVE for a difference! This stuff just gets old is what I'm saying...lol.

I'll go first just in general:

1. White people have great architects of amazing beautiful works of art from building structures, to classical music, and food.

2. White people usually like to promote "cleanliness", attention to detail, doing a good, "proper" job well done.

3. White people are very "community-minded" in the provisions and activities of their local communities helping out others in need.

4. White people have a thirst and curiosity for knowledge, to explore the unknown and achieve what no one has done before.

5. White people have originated many of the highest-level sophisticated societies the world has ever known.

...And on and on I could go listing *POSITIVE* attributes NOT NEGATIVE!

Jed Mask said...

Smh on here... I can understand Vox has no say over his commenters' comments here; but I reckon if the whole overall goal of this site is to be a catalyst for "Breaking the chains, winning the games and saving Western Civilization", he and others here could start by being more "polite" and "tactful" in how they speak of other ethnicities of people.

No "race-bashing" isn't going to help your cause, Vox, and those doing it on here...

I've made it clear I don't "race-bash" on white people (or ANY race of people), I get dissapointed and upset when other people "talk down" my people. Yeah, I can't expect people to "respect' my "respect" for people, just saying how it's received.

Western civilization was mainly brought about by "white people" in origin but don't mistake "western civilization" as we live it on whole as a "creation solely of the white man".

Many ethnicities of people have contributed to the culture, government and soceities we all live in.

Blacks brought "soul food", rap, the sports culture and the like (not saying I agree with the negative worldly "influences" of such inventions. My point is the CONTRIBUTION effect blacks have brought to Western Society whether positive or negative. It's what blacks brought.

Hispanics have brought their culture, food and great influences of art, music, dance...

Asians have brought their culture, food and great influences of art, music, dance... "China Town", etc...

And on and on it goes... Western Civilization is not merely created in entirety but the white man in it's full manifestation. It's not just white people (though I'm not saying as though white people aren't the major "framers" of the western civilization; they are. Please don't "twist my words" to mean what YOU THINK I'm saying) who are creators of western civilization in its entirely as we live and experience today.

ALL peoples have had a share in it some way or other. We must we must ADMIT IT, ACKNOWLEDGE IT,*RESPECT IT*.

Western Civilization is for ALL PEOPLE; not "one or the other".

When I hear the term "Western Civilization" I'm thinking of ALL peoples; not just the white race. Some people on here seem to deem "Western Civilization" as only the "white man's great design" but it's not completely that case since other influences from other races of people have been attributed to it. Give folks CREDIT and stop "hogging" everything as though it's "all you". It's not.

Every people and culture that have been in contact with each other have "adopted things" from one another at some time.

It's not "accident". It's history and "real life". Amen.

~ Bro. Jed

Fenton Wood said...

You are an individual. You are not your race. I try to judge people individually, circumstances permitting. I can find plenty of black Americans who are more educated and more responsible than I am.

However, I refuse to feel guilty about pointing out the huge differences in criminal behavior, illiteracy, illegitimacy, and personal responsibility between ethnic groups, and the social and political consequences thereof.

You have the misfortune of belonging to an ethnic group that is widely despised. Saying nice things about black people won't make the problem go away. I can only advise you to set yourself apart in some way so that people will judge you as an individual.

The vast majority of us white people don't have the brainpower or discipline to be engineers or scientists, myself included. However, we have a peaceable and orderly culture that allows engineers and scientists to flourish.

Aeoli Pera said...

Jed, I'm not bashing your race, I'm telling you God's honest truth. The biggest reason that blacks have high unemployment and can't keep jobs is that you can't count on them to show up.

Anonymous said...

I keep coming back to this post. I think it's interesting because I've seen a disconnect between "alphas on a sexual hierarchy" and "alphas in the workplace."

The absolute worst thing that can ever happen to an organization is to put a gamma in charge of ANYTHING. It's a prescription for disaster. They won't take any input from anyone and they're always right in their own mind.

Cristo said...

Thank you so much for the hierarchy. It's very enlightening.

I'm an Omega. I wouldn't say that I'm a failure in life; I earn six figures and my professional colleagues like me.

But I am an absolute failure socially. I might differ from the typical Omega in that I don't harass women. I know already that none of them will like me. I stay away from them to avoid trouble. Your hierarchy is correct in that I will never be at the party.

What posts on this site would you most recommend that I read?

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