Princesses Reign at U.S. Box Office - And Also in the American Workplace

With a record $122 million in box office revenues, animated film Shrek the Third and its four quirkily updated fairytale Princesses -- Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty -- dominated the nation's movie theaters this past weekend.

But according to a new workplace study, that's not the only place that princesses reign. They rule the American workplace as well.

According to a survey conducted by Rachelle Canter, PhD, author of the newly-released executive career handbook Make the Right Career Move, 48% of American workers say there is an Workplace Princess right at their own jobsite.

What kind of special behaviors differentiate a Workplace Princess from a non-royal member of the workplace? According to the study, 48% of Workplace Princesses expect special favors from their employers; 47% express the belief that they are being treated unfairly; and 35% of office princesses even make other people do their work for them.

One out of every six workers (16%) - according to the survey -- say that the Workplace Princess at their workplace is a man.

Canter's findings are the result of a random telephone survey conducted among a national probability sample of 506 employed adults 18 years and older living in private households in the continental U.S. conducted during the period March 9-12, 2007. The study was conducted with the assistance of Opinion Research Corp. Inc. of Princeton, New Jersey, and has a margin of error of 5%.

As part of a larger study, we asked workers a few light-hearted questions just for fun, and one of those questions was whether or not there was a Workplace Princess, whether man or woman, where they worked, said Canter. We defined this as a coworker who had a special sense of entitlement or privilege. We were stunned to find that 48% of American workplaces have a 'Workplace Princess,' right on the premises.

In Shrek the Third, the four princesses all seem to have major entitlement or narcissistic issues, says Canter. One collapses frequently from 'exhaustion,' perhaps real, perhaps pretend, says Canter. Another acts in a very obsessive-compulsive way, a result of a deprived family upbringing, which is a common cause of narcissism. A third takes narcissism to a new level while she is imprisoned, and the last one has anger management issues that lead to with meltdowns, baldness and wigs.

This movie took the word 'princess' to a very modern level, said Maya Rudolph, who provides the voice of Rapunzel, in a recent press interview. They know everything about everything because they're never questioned Ö and really spoiled.

Added Shrek Director Chris Miller in an interview: The driving force was to present these characters that have a very narrow view of life. They wait around to be rescued.

That waiting to be saved mentality is not too far off from one of the types of Princesses -- whether male or female -- that Canter sees in today's office workplace.

A new book, 'Generation Me,' suggests that the younger generation is the most narcissistic generation of all, raised by parents to see themselves as 'special' and thus entitled, says Canter, president of RJC Associates, a San Francisco-based executive career counseling service. Up to now, the baby boomers were commonly viewed as the most self-absorbed generation. The truth is there have been narcissists long before there were baby boomers or GenMe. But are their numbers growing? It seems so. And not only do they drive other people crazy, they frequently tend to ruin or derail their own careers. And they never quite figure out how they have sabotaged themselves.

How do you know if you're an Office Princess? Here's a few Warning Signs, according to Canter.

--Do you most of your sentences begin with I want or I need?

--Do you know the career goals of your friends and co-workers or only your own?

--When was the last time you listened for 30 minutes to a good friend or colleague with a serious problem?

--When was the last time you called or visited a colleague just to see how they are doing?

--In job interviews do you focus on what you want (a great opportunity, room for advancement, lucrative compensation, a mentor) rather than on what you can contribute or offer an employer?

--When things go wrong, do you blame the situation and other people?

--Do you worry about other people or only yourself?

How do you stop being a Workplace Princess? The key to rehabilitation is first seeing that there is a problem with your self-centeredness, owning that it is your problem not the fault of others, and being motivated to make a change, says Canter. As with all adult learning, the key to making and sustaining change is to select a very few things to work on, taking small measurable steps, and having clear account-abilities and consequences.

Here are several habits to cultivate that can break the narcissistic self-focus:

--Think first of what you can contribute to others, not what they can do for you.
--Volunteer to help a colleague who needs help with a project, a job search, or a problem. Ask for nothing in return.
--When someone calls you for help, invest time in coming up with some help for them.
--When a recruiter or a job-seeker calls, spend time helping them with information and introductions, especially if there's nothing in it for you.
--Notice others and thank them for their contributions.
--Offer time to a charity or non-profit that helps the needy - spend time that is inconvenient to you or cuts into your me time
--Practice random acts of kindness.
--Listen carefully to others in order to understand not to respond - practice active listening by letting others know what you think you heard from them.

And what about the rest of office royalty? The survey didn't leave them out. According to the survey, 21% of workplaces have a Workplace Queen, 18% have a Workplace King -- and 34% have a Workplace Joker.

About the author:
Rachelle Canter, PhD, has a doctorate in psychology and is president of RJC Associates, a San Francisco-based consulting firm that provides career, executive, and team development services to corporations, professional service firms, and other organizations. She has spoken and written widely on career, executive and organizational development issues, and is the author of the just-released book Make the Right Career Move: 28 Critical Insights and Strategies to Land Your Dream Job. She can be reached at (415) 956 8438.