Thread by @paulwaldman1

1. I want to address something that seems to be missing from all this talk of Klobuchar's treatment of her staff. She says she's a "tough boss" and she "pushes her staff hard" and has "high standards." There's a problem with that.

nytimes.com/2019/02/22/us/…

2. Anyone who has had even a mildly abusive boss knows that when they yell, much less when they berate you or throw things, they aren't pushing you to do your best work and your best work is not what they get.

3. Instead, in that situation the worker's entire focus shifts to one goal, and it's not performing to a high standard. It's avoiding the boss's wrath. No "nice job" will ever feel as good as being the target of an insult or screaming jag feels bad.

4. Often that means just staying out of their notice, or trying to solve problems without telling the boss that the problem exists, even if the boss with their experience and knowledge might actually be able to help and thus get the problem solved quicker.

5. A telling detail in the latest Times article on Klobuchar: when she abused them it was because "She thought she was demanding their best and getting far less." She probably WAS getting less than their best! But it was because of the abuse, not in spite of it. /end