Sergey Barkov
Abstract
Die Hauptthese des Artikels ist, dass in der postindustriellen Gesellschaft die Bedeu-tung der Attraktivität als persönliche Eigenschaft des Mitarbeiters zunimmt. Es gibt zahlreiche Situationen, in denen sich das Gleichgewicht von beruflichen und persön-lichen Qualitäten derzeit verändert. Das Symbol für diesen Prozess ist der Beruf des Bloggers. Er/sie kann Millionen von Zuhörern erreichen, nicht wegen einzigartiger professioneller Fähigkeiten, sondern wegen seiner/ihrer Attraktivität.
The main theme of this article is that in today’s post-industrial society, the importance of attractiveness as a personal characteristic of an employee is increasing. There are numerous situations in which the balance of professional and personal qualities is currently changing. An example of where this process is evident is in the profession of a blogger. He/she can reach millions of audiences, not because of unique professional skills, but because of his/her attractiveness.
Mankind has always envisaged that the best people in society would earn success and wealth. Since society is structured hierarchically, this vision has quite logically turned into a desire to have the best people at the top of the social pyramid, in order for them to have a high social status. Practice constantly refuted such ideals about social struc-ture. However, throughout human history, major social developments – in politics and economy – have shown that they will contribute to the realization of this vision.
But what does the best mean? First and foremost, the best person should be the best in his or her profession. That person then must have the best qualifications and achieve the best results. But, in addition to this, ideally, he/she should be the best in terms of his/her personal qualities. The person must be kind, polite, approachable, fair, etc. Using a well-known analogy for computer technology, these two groups of employee qualities were referred to as “hard skills” and “soft skills”. The former has always and rightly received maximum attention while the latter was considered as im-portant but still only as a complement to the former.
The diversity of corporate structures in the post-industrial economy has notice-ably adapted this portrait to the individual assessment. These adjustments primarily affected such qualities as attractiveness to people. The apogee of its manifestation is charisma (Weber, 1977). Most people do not have this great ability to arouse
sympa-thy. At the same time, a significant number of people still have a certain degree of attractiveness. Some people consciously cultivate it, some simply cannot exist other-wise, some in certain situations even want to disguise this quality and appear strict, cold and insensitive, and therefore (supposedly or in fact) determined and capable of outstanding achievements.
In a traditional hierarchical organization, this human quality did not, in any way, affect the structure of business processes. Of course, it was good when the boss turned out to be a “sincere” person with whom one could communicate well. But the organi-zational activity was based on a clear chain of command and a system of order. And from the point of view of organizational effectiveness, it was not so important whether the order was given by a “sincere” or “unsympathetic” person.
In the industrial society, this situation was strengthened by the processes of auto-mation and standardization (unification). For an assembly line worker or a person interacting with a robot, the desirability to please people has become a secondary qual-ity, in no way comparable to his professional competence. The system of standard tasks, in which it is impossible to change anything, also minimizes the importance of attractiveness. The typical organization had to work like a machine and obviously, a machine does not believe in tears or smiles.
The only situation in a hierarchical organization where attractiveness could be-come a significant basis for selecting an employee is an interaction on a horizontal level. If an employee, for example, needed to contact the accounting department about a difficult and potentially problematic issue, he/she would choose an accountant with whom he/she would be comfortable communicating. In most other cases, the very possibility of such a choice was restricted by the standardization and detailed structur-ing of the business process. In traditional management, you only had this accountant to turn to and not to someone else. Nevertheless, certain choices of options inevitably remained, even in the most rigid bureaucratic and “military structured” organizations.
Consequently, the ability to evoke sympathy then becomes not just a pleasant “dessert after the main course” but also determines the distribution of tasks – and with them, influence and money – i. e. it becomes in a sense, the “main course” itself. But these possibilities emerged very rarely.
The market as a mechanism of human interactions was and remains most dis-similar to the classical hierarchical organization. With the origins in R. H. Coase’s The nature of the firm (Coase, 1937, pp. 386–40), modern society is often viewed in an or-ganizational-market paradigm correlating various types of interactions between peo-ple and different spheres of social life, with the rules characteristic of the institutions of organization and the market (Barkov, 2008). The contract – not the order – domi-nates the market. The contract is based on the freedom of choice. There are no bosses and subordinates in the market. That is why the attraction was initially a system-build-ing factor. Again, it is clear that in market transactions, attractiveness was subordinate to professional skills: If a “nice” seller managed to sell you an unusable item, the next time, you will pay more attention to his professional qualities and the properties of his/her product or service, rather than his/her communication skills. Nevertheless,
the non-hierarchical structure of the market made sympathy and antipathy, as well as all emotions arising from communication, fundamentally important factors for effec-tive economic interaction. Subsequently, marketing and a modern system of “cus-tomer focus” are developing progressively and intensively in the market.
The post-industrial stage of economic development was characterized by an ac-tive hybridization of organizations and markets. The hybridization proceeded in a number of directions, the most important (for this study) of which was the penetration of certain elements of the market structure into a classical hierarchical organiza-tion. Organizations have become smaller in size, flatter in structure, and more decen-tralized in terms of governance. Horizontal connections and interactions, which had a secondary role in the hierarchical organization, have become practically equal to ver-tical ones as regards their importance. Subsequently, in modern flat structures, the ability to attract people, to please them, to evoke sympathy and trust turns from a sec-ondary to one of the main qualities of an employee. For instance, a person’s member-ship in all kinds of commissions and committees solving the most complex and extra-ordinary problems largely depends on this quality. The size of an individual’s social circle depends on his/her attractiveness. Moreover, to a large extent, this size begins to determine his/her status in a non-hierarchical system of relations.
The change in the balance between professional and personal qualities manifests itself clearly in such a hybrid of organization and market as an organizational net-work. The system of freelancer’s interactions implies taking into account not only the professional qualities and specialization of a person, but also their ability to attract partners, create a positive image, and establish stable informal relationships A lawyer or programmer working under an individual contract is increasingly in demand not only because of excellent technical skills but also because of the ability to communi-cate, make contacts and make friends and consequently achieve a high status in the network. The paradox of the freelancer’s different activities is that he/she should spend a significant part of his/her time trying to please people in order to get a con-tract. Here the freelancer needs the qualities of a “shirt-type”, an attentive listener and simply a nice person. First of all, he/she should be liked and remembered. And after – having obtained a contract, especially for work on a temporary project – he/she often finds himself/herself in a situation where personal qualities are needed almost to a lesser degree than if he/she were to work on an assembly line. Tight project deadlines tend to keep you busy day and night. There is simply no time left to communicate with colleagues and with other people on the project. In addition, the very essence of a temporary project – whether it is writing a computer programme, implementing an advertising campaign or preparing a concert – does not imply attention to the personal qualities of the people participating in it. You can work for a month or two with an unpleasant person in order to carry out a project, to earn money, and then never hav-ing to contact him/her again in your life.
The apotheosis of the synthesis of professional skills and attractiveness is demon-strated by the “profession” or activity of a blogger. Today this type of occupation is very attractive for young people and occupies the top positions in the ratings of the most
desirable professions. The topics of blogs and YouTube channels can be very diverse – from requiring special professional knowledge and skills – to something simpler. The topic of online communication can be toys and black holes, cooking and geopolitics, dog breeding and esotericism. This all-absorbing nature of the internet allows thou-sands, if not millions of people to have a go as bloggers. But only dozens manage to collect millions of views and likes. And the status of the “great blogger” is determined not only by relevant, unexpected or profound content but most frequently by the im-age of the blogger. At the same time, a very small number of these people can be called charismatic, they just know how to communicate in an interesting and original way. They do not push people away but attract them.
The blogger’s world is a hybrid organization-market world. Unlike the CEO, the founder or leader of a blog cannot give orders. His/her “subordinates” are the audi-ence who, at any time, can switch to another source of information. To be successful a blogger must not only be informative but also attractive. And in this case, the latter personal trait is just as important as the former.
So the new post-industrial world brought to the fore a special personal compe-tence that is very difficult if not impossible to learn. Philosophically, the increased importance of this skill can be seen as an argument in favor of “sowing good feelings”
in people. The altruistic activity tends now to gain some benefits. Attractiveness begins to bring profit, influence and high social status. Such a situation could probably be part of all utopist doctrines but none of their authors simply could imagine such an unexpected realization of utopia.
In real life, the idiom “a good man is not a profession!” has been justified for many years. In some unexpected and unpredictable way, the situation has changed and now “a good person” has become not just a profession but even a very profitable profession.
The growing attention to the people’s soft skills in the modern social and eco-nomic space may have one strange consequence. Mankind, over the course of history, has sometimes unexpectedly developed antidotes against diseases and attacks, not only physiological but also social ones. Today one can hear multiple predictions that robots, computers, artificial intelligence and other techniques will soon replace people in most work environments. We can call this “an attack of robotization”. The authors of such predictions frighten us with a vision of many millions in unemployed. And for such authors, this threat seems inevitable and almost taken for granted.
However, based on the premise of the increasing role of soft skills in the modern economy, even a noncreative person can aspire to finding a job. Technology lacks soft skills. Even if robots are taught to smile, to joke and might even be trusted, these quali-ties will still be perceived as artificial. Natural kindness, a natural smile, natural joy, natural humor will always be in high demand. And this fact creates a solid basis for the preservation of many professions and positions even though the people working for them, in principle, can be replaced by technology. It is quite possible that in the near future we will face a situation of specific artificial (or unnatural) selection – a number of professions will indeed disappear but some of them, requiring specific personal
qualities, including attractiveness, will remain. It is the increasing role of these quali-ties that will preserve many jobs and to some extent mitigate the harmful impact of modern technology on the labor market.
To conclude the discussion on attractiveness versus professionalism, we should make one important remark. Everything that has been said above relates to the work of a person, be it in a hierarchical organization, in the marketplace, or in a network. But the balance between hard skills and soft skills also exists outside of the domain of work. And here too, there are some interesting patterns. From the very beginning, it should be noted that outside of the work domain, we are much more guided in our interactions by the impression that a person makes on us. When, in our professional life, we are often forced to interact with unpleasant people in order to achieve personal or organizational goals we find, in our personal and so-called “unprofessional” life, we are freer in our choices. Friends are the culmination in choosing individuals in accord-ance with their personal qualities. These people are our friends only because we like them. We also choose to communicate with people from a wide variety of relatives because we like them. With the rest of the people we simply “maintain relationships”
(or more common now, “do not maintain relationships”, but only know about their existence). The same can be said for neighbors. In his/her life, a person meets thou-sands of people and makes strong contacts with only some. Why? Because these are those who attract him/her.
If we turn to the choice of organizations, the most striking example is a hobby club or any other place of leisure. Based on attractiveness, we also choose internet sites or the above-mentioned blogs that we frequently visit for our own pleasure. When choosing an organization for leisure activities – a club, a restaurant, a hotel – we al-ways pay primary attention to the quality of service, which is largely determined by the ability of the staff to please customers. With the development of the service sector in a post-industrial society, the role of soft skills, in general, has increased significantly.
But there are also situations in our life, outside of work, when we do not pay so much attention to a person’s attractiveness. The most obvious example is doctors. Of course, the doctor’s ability to communicate with the patient, to evoke trust and even sympathy, are very important and useful components of medical practice, but never-theless, the professional qualities of a doctor always come first. And unfortunately, many doctors manipulate this situation, creating for themselves the image of an all-knowing “monster”. The doctor-patient relationship has therefore become a kind of symbol of hierarchy, which is used even in describing various interactions between people, in particular in management consulting (Schein, E., 1969). Another case that is sometimes in-between professional and home life may be that of a trainer or coach. Sports, ballet, singing or painting require a lot of effort from an individual. You have to overcome yourself, work “for wear and tear”, experience failures, and most importantly work constantly and hard, even when you do not want to. In most cases, most trainees will never become professional athletes, singers, musicians or dancers.
In this life choice, young people very often seek contact with tough “leaders”. They try to work “for the result” and for this they create an image of an individual who should
be feared. The hierarchy in this case is set artificially by the very nature of the teacher-student relationship and is complemented by an implicit belief in the teacher’s unique abilities. A trainer is so much more professional than a trainee; he/she knows the
“mysteries of mastery”. A trainee by definition cannot object to the master, he/she must obey him/her even if he/she is an unattractive person. But now, even in these spheres, with the passion for a healthy lifestyle and within the framework of market imperatives, people more and more start to do “their business” using the ability to please the “subordinates”. And in this case, attractiveness, could, in the long run, be-come the basis for personal success, quite comparable to training champions.
If we look at the contacts with organizations and individuals outside work, the balance between professionalism and attractiveness could best be demonstrated by the example of a transport company or system. The most important thing for an indi-vidual is to get to his/her destination quickly and safely. And no matter how the taxi driver attracts you with a smile and good communication skills, if it is faster, more convenient and cheaper to get to the place by train, you will take the train. The same can be said about many organizations that create the infrastructure of modern life (communications, housing and communal services, local bureaucracy, etc.). It is very agreeable when the ability to bring joy to the client is added to reliable and inexpensive support for quality of life. But if problems emerge in the infrastructure of our lives, we will not hesitate to choose an organization that has an image of an “uncommunicative professional” in comparison to a friendly organization that can fail.
Summing up, one should once again draw attention to the fact that in modern life, attractiveness grows from a secondary quality of an individual to an important one. It is an attraction that determines in many cases our success in professional life. At the same time, professional qualities, even in life outside of work, will never fade into the background. However, the balance between these two groups of charac-teristics has changed significantly in recent years. Attractiveness is in many ways an innate or unconsciously acquired feature of an individual. Some people like to gener-ate smiles, others like to scare others. It is difficult to determine what has influenced these choices. It is clear that the awareness of the benefits created by attractiveness forces many people to develop this personal quality. And from the various techniques practiced in psychology, this area of human development can become the subject of attention for training centers, employment agencies, human resource managers and
Summing up, one should once again draw attention to the fact that in modern life, attractiveness grows from a secondary quality of an individual to an important one. It is an attraction that determines in many cases our success in professional life. At the same time, professional qualities, even in life outside of work, will never fade into the background. However, the balance between these two groups of charac-teristics has changed significantly in recent years. Attractiveness is in many ways an innate or unconsciously acquired feature of an individual. Some people like to gener-ate smiles, others like to scare others. It is difficult to determine what has influenced these choices. It is clear that the awareness of the benefits created by attractiveness forces many people to develop this personal quality. And from the various techniques practiced in psychology, this area of human development can become the subject of attention for training centers, employment agencies, human resource managers and