4. Constructive Machiavellianism

Machiavelli has been identified with the idea of 'the ends justify the means'. There has always been a negative connotation to this train of thought, but I don't think this is necessarily the way it has to be interpreted.

The concept of reverse psychology is a great example of this. This tact is often employed by parents trying to get their kids to do something, very often for their own good. "Go ahead, stick that paperclip in the power outlet and see what happens." They'll never do that again. If they live, they've learned a valuable lesson. Did I mention I'm not a parent?

Many information technology people, IT drones such as myself, employ this tact daily. Even after we've told a user how spyware will make their computer unusable, they persist that they really want to know more about that miracle weight loss drug. "Sure then, go ahead and click yes on that pop-up". The next morning when you get that call about their computer taking a half hour to boot up, you know they've learned something and you won't have that conversation again (and most likely the immediate friends of this person). In this case, you have to break some eggs to make an omlette.

The same goes for the larger scheme of things in an organization. Managers have to make unpopular decisions frequently for the larger good of the organization. A manager might have to not add needed personnel to a department but only to be able to maintain salary needs for veteran staff that may, in the end, add more equity to the entire organization.

In another situation, a supervisor may push an employee into doing work that they don't necessarily enjoy, but will eventually allow this employee to move up in the organization, while the employee that was not made to do this less enjoyable work will stay in the same place in the organization and not move up. The manager employed Constructive Machiavellianism to move an employee up that in the end will benefit the entire organization and all of it's employees.

As long as the means are just, using a Machiavellian tact is not a bad thing. Constructive Machiavellianism if utilized virtuously can go a long way toward furthering your cause.