Dark Social: Understanding the Darker Side of Work, Personality and Social Media by Ian MacRae

Author:Ian MacRae [MacRae, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Business & Economics, marketing, Direct, Consumer Behavior, computers, internet, social media, Business Ethics, Public Relations, General
ISBN: 9781472983138
Google: xVVLEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2021-11-11T23:53:27.970755+00:00

FIGURE 13.1 Optimal and excessive characteristics of aggressive personality style

How it looks online

This profile is your classic online troll. Add anonymity (or perhaps not) and this is the type of personality style that delights in causing mischief, stirring up trouble and provoking negative emotional reactions in other people. There are so many places online where people already have strong emotional reactions and controversial opinions are easily triggered. These places are easy targets for causing trouble, so tend to draw people in who find that to be an amusing pastime.

However, there are different levels of nuance; it is not all posting aggressive, violent or threatening messages from an anonymous account. In the workplace, and on workplace social media platforms, the aggression may not always be obvious or blatant. Some people are very good at stirring up conflict without looking like the aggressor. They may be adept at drawing colleagues with opposing views into arguments online with a few subtle mentions and tagging antagonists. They might operate behind the scenes, messaging people individually to encourage them to create conflict within the group. Sometimes they operate happily behind the scenes, acting as a confidant but advising courses of action that are bound to be destructive.

Depending on the behaviour, this may be easier to spot when it’s an obvious attempt to stir up trouble. But it’s not always easy to spot, and the motivations behind someone’s behaviour are not always easy to discern. There certainly is valid discussion and debate: the question to ask is whether there is a purpose or a constructive objective behind a brash exterior, or is the person starting fires just because they enjoy watching things burn?

Dramatic

One of the hallmarks of the dramatic personality style is a colourful, bold and showy presentation style. They like to be the centre of attention, to be noticed and flattered. At their best they can be charming, interesting and exciting. They tend to exaggerate and hype things up, so they are good at getting people excited and building up expectations, but they sometimes have trouble living up to the fantastic image they project.

When surrounded by and bolstered by a good team, they may be effective in motivational speeches, selling products or attracting investment in their company. They make big promises, charm the people around them and are particularly good at using techniques to quickly build rapport and trust. When they can temper their colourful presentation with a healthy dose of reality, they can be exceptionally effective. However, when they are less disciplined or less scrupulous, they don’t let reality get in the way of a good show.

They like to take centre stage whenever possible, so their showboating can make it hard for other people to contribute to the team when they are around, and they may fail to spot good ideas when they try to dominate the attention of a group. When someone with the dramatic personality style is in a leadership role, their direct reports quickly learn that there is no reward for speaking up, and anyone who steals the spotlight might be looked upon as a threat.

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