Yes Man: the mindless assent philosophy

Even if the first “historical” use of this term dates back to 1912, it has become way more mainstream after the release of the homonymous 2009 film starring Jim Carrey.

In the film that of the Yes Man is presented as if it was an actual “philosophy”, that the protagonist had to always follow in any situation of his life. Obviously this exaggeration is meant to be a contribution to the film's comedy, but the underlying concept corresponds to the actual reality.

A "Yes Man" is a person who agrees with everything that is said or proposed, especially in order to win favour with those in authority. As you can easily guess, such kind of people are especially diffused in workplaces, where they make sure to always be aligned with their superior’s opinion on any subject.

Generally being a Yes Man is considered as a negative thing and people use the term in a derogatory way, but as we all unfortunately know, what we express is not always consistent with our actions.?

The dangers hidden behind unconditional consent

Even if it is not expressly stated, sometimes those who occupy executive positions (like Managers, CEOs, CFOs etc.) end up “preferring” those employees who always confirm their already existing opinions, strengthening them and making them more confident in their business decisions. In many cases they might even do it subconsciously, but that does not make it a less dangerous action, let us explain you why.

The importance of not always agreeing at work

As we said, Yes Men always agree with their bosses (or the dominant opinion in the group), regardless of whether they actually believe it to be true or not. This kind of behaviour can lead to a lack of diversity in thought and can stifle creativity and innovation inside a department, or even throughout the whole company.

Additionally, this kind of atmosphere can further degenerate into a toxic culture where dissenting opinions are not valued, discouraged or even punished.?

The difference between an office and a herd

Creativity and innovation aren’t the only elements of an organisation that risk serious damages because of groupthink.?

Having Yes Men in your workplace will inevitably cause a lack of accountability, this could prevent important issues from being addressed. It goes without saying how easily such behaviour can make a company go in the wrong direction, leading to potentially disastrous damages.

The false security of one hundred Yes…

Another danger of having yes men in your workplace is that they can create a false sense of consensus. If everyone in the group is agreeing with the boss or with the dominant opinion, it can give the impression that the decision being made is the right one, even if it isn't. This can lead to disastrous consequences, as important decisions may be made without properly considering all of the options.

… or the brutal sincerity of a single No?

As reassuring as it may initially seem, being surrounded by Yes Men is one of the most dangerous things you can do, both at work and in your private life.

Sometimes it can be difficult to realise that our vision is biassed and that we are unwittingly preferring those who agree with us, but it is a necessary effort to create a better workplace.?

It is important for organisations to foster a culture of open communication and encourage dissenting opinions in order to avoid the dangers of having yes men who can seriously damage them.