HR Dictionary: "Sheeple"
March 24, 2014
This one's easy. Today's word is "Sheeple", here's the entry from Urban Dictionary, I think it fits:
Sheeple (ryhmes with and used as a replacement for "people") - People unable to think for themselves. Followers. Lemmings. Those with no cognitive ablilities of their own.
I hadn't heard this used until I caught it in the Showtime series House of Lies (recommended), used by Consulting shop owner Marty Kahn (played by Don Cheadle) as he talked to a founder of a company. Here's how it went:
Are you kidding me, Robert? F***ing sheeple? Come on - Americans, f***ing Everywhere-icans - They're gonna go for the lowest common denominator every time. You know that.
Why do you need it in your HR Dictionary? Because you make hundreds of decisions a year that are based on how people are going to react as a group. And people are generally of a pack mentality, and they usually go for the lowest common denominator.
Want them to not go for the lowest common denominator? You better do something different as an HR leader.
It is sad how difficult it will be for many HR "leaders" to do something different on this front...
Posted by: RobertAOrr | March 24, 2014 at 02:34 PM